Desperate Measures
by Selfo-Destructo
Summary: Things don't always go as planned, and the end result is always a compromise. Evil never triumphs, and good never wins. Something is always sacrificed for something to be gained.
1. Vanishing

Hey, this is my first entry ever after reading fanfiction for several years. I'd like to think that this is a good start, and that my writing is competent, but one's own writing always looks good on paper. I've read amazing works and crappy ones, and I still can't tell if mine is any better. Be as ruthless as you want. Flame me even. I started this because I thought I had a good idea, not because I wanted some stranger's approval. Still, it would be preferable if you honestly enjoyed my writing. Here's hoping. By the way, if anyone wants to proofread my submissions, preferably someone who knows Japanese. I'd be most grateful. Also, any names or techniques I make up, I'll try to have in Japanese, since it's a turn-off for me when English is mashed with Japanese, like, "Super special awesome no jutsu!" or "Naruto called his friend Dave over." However, I don't actually know Japanese, but I can use the Internet. Oh, and one last thing. Please do not ask for certain pairings. This is my first try at this, and I'd like it to flow, not bend to one group's interests. Thanks.

Standard Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I don't know who does, but good for them.

**Ch. 1: Vanishing**

"What are we going to do?"

The shinobi beside the woman who spoke just shook his head. "Hell if I know. Hogake-sama is dead. It would have been his decision." He pulled out a cigarette from one of his vest pockets.

"Well, we got to do something. We can't just leave him here."

"I'll take him to Sandaime-sama." The two shinobi turned around, catching sight of a brown-haired woman limping towards them. "He'll know what to do."

"Rin, you need to help to others. This boy can wait," replied the ninja as he lit his cigarette. "Besides, Tou-san has his hands busy with organizing the village."

"But the kid-"

"Is just fine, unlike our comrades. You would be doing more healing than running errands."

Rin seemed like she was going to argue, but to Asuma's relief, she dropped the subject. "Fine, but make sure he's taken to Sandaime-sama or Jiraiya…ugh, -sama."

"Heh, yeah sure," nodded the ninja as his compatriot left for those in need of her expertise.

"All well and good, but what about the boy?" asked the first kunoichi. "A baby in the middle of nowhere is going to be suspicious."

"I guess that the ANBU will deal with him." As if responding to the statement, a masked nin appeared beside the boy.

"I will be taking the boy." The two didn't even bother with a reply. After all, he had standard ANBU attire. Besides, a chunnin and a genin wouldn't be able to stand up to one of the elite.

"Help your comrades," was the last sentence from the shinobi as he disappeared from view.

"Who was he?" inquired the kunoichi.

"Doesn't matter, we have our own jobs to do. Let's go."

------

Despite popular belief of the other shinobi nations, Konohagakure in itself was not damaged in the attack. For all its power and intellect, the Kyuubi no Youko had no sense of stealth. For this reason, the battle between the Konoha-nin and the demon took place in a clearing south of the village. As the ANBU carrying the infant raced towards his home, he couldn't help but feel a small sense of relief at this fact. Not because he cared about the civilians, no, but for that appearances dictate most of the opinions of outsiders, especially clients. Joined with the news that Konoha just defeated the most powerful demon ever seen, the clientele should skyrocket, and that meant more money for elite ninja like himself. He shook his head. Now was not the time for wandering thoughts. He had a job to do, he had to focus. He spotted his destination a hundred meters from his position. No, it wasn't the towering building of the Hokage's office, as one might think an ANBU would head with such an important package. No, this structure was quite rickety in appearance. When he landed on the ground in front of the building, house really, he pulled out a senbon needle and began carving into the ground.

_Only with strong Roots does the Tree weather the Storm_.

When he finished, the words immediately began to enlarge, forming a hole in front of the structure. The nin jumped in, and the hole closed. A little boy, a toddler really watched from his window, wide-eyed, and then screamed to his mommy that a man was eaten by a monster in the ground.

------

"Did you succeed?"

"Of course, Sarutobi-sensei, since when have I ever failed?" The former Hokage just smiled at his student. If one thing could be said about Jiraiya, besides his perverted tendencies, was that he had confidence. Rarely did he ever back down from any challenge, whether it be a mission or 'research' for his new book.

"Sorry, I misspoke. I know you succeeded in designing the seal, but was Arashi able to complete it?"

"Yeah, but I kinda wish he hadn't." Sarutobi's eyes softened at that statement. "Or that he'd let me do it."

"You would have failed." There was no point in sugarcoating the truth. The Toad Sannin simply did not have the fine control required for that technique.

"I know." Silence enveloped the office, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere.

"What about the boy? Where is he?"

"I…I don't know. Nobody has reported finding him. He might have been taken along with the Kyuubi."

The Sandaime's eyes widen. "But the jutsu-"

"Was never perfect," interrupted Jiraiya. "How could we know what would happen? It was a lucky thing it worked in the first place."

""I know, but…" _This shouldn't have happened. After all that was sacrificed, why this one?_ Looking at his former pupil, the old man could see that the toad hermit was taking it even worse. _He must think he failed Arashi, and in more ways than one_. Sarutobi wanted to say something, anything to comfort his student, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. They all failed, by not being strong enough. Sure, the Hokage was the pillar holding up the village, but conversely the village is the foundation, supporting the pillar. When the foundation is weak, the pillar crumbles. Not only did the village fail its pillar, but his son as well.

------

The ANBU peered into the shadows. "I've brought him."

In response, a woman dressed in a chuunin flak jacket and a purple dress stepped out of the darkness. "Well done. Danzo-sama will be pleased. Now, hand over the child."

"Not so fast. I did this for the money, not to make that old fart happy." The lady's eyes narrowed fractionally. The ninja watched suspiciously. _She doesn't seem to like that description. Well, too fucking bad_. His body tensed, ready to repel any attack she attempted.

"You are quite right," replied the kunoichi cheerfully. "Please, accept this in exchange for the boy." And with that, the woman placed a box on the ground. The ninja, excited at the size of the container, wasted no time giving the child to the shadowy figure, then rushing to the box. Flipping over the lid, he counted what was agreed upon.

"Our business is done," the traitorous ANBU told the woman.

"Correct again. Goodbye," and so the woman, along with the boy disappeared into the darkness whence she came.

The ninja waited, still wary of betrayal. After several seconds, he decided he was in the clear. _Time to go…wait, how do I get out of here?_

_------_

The trees of Konoha blazed with a savage intensity, as if they were a reminder of the Kyuubi's hatred, burn its memory forever into the heart of Konoha..But it wasnot completely detrimental. The illumination from the burning forests was something that Anko was grateful for; it made it easier to search and tend to the wounded.

_This tree's still warm. Fuck, is it from the fire or the blood?_

"Anko, stop daydreaming, I found another one."

She snapped out of her reverie and stared at Asuma. He was standing on a tree branch, gently lifting a Leaf-nin onto his back, and carried him carefully to the forest floor. She cleared the distance between them to assist with the wounded man

"Is he alright?"

"Asuma! Anko!" The two ninja did not turn from their task to look at the newcomer, as he had not even attempted to hide his approach.

"What, Kakashi? We're busy."

"Rin told me you found a kid. Sandaime-sama is looking for him."

They glanced at each other. Asuma gave a nod to his partner and continued to bandage the wounds of the ninja on the forest floor. Anko turned her gaze to Kakashi. "He doesn't have him already?"

The newly arrived ninja just glared at the duo. "No jokes, where's the boy. It's very important you tell me where he is.

Asuma finished wrapping the last gash on the shinobi's body. Wiping his blood-stained hands down the sides of his pants, he rose and turned to face the genius. "The ANBU already took him last night. Tou-san should already have him."

"Are you positive?"

"No, I just like wasting time. Of course I'm positive. Back me up here, Anko."

"Yeah. Kakashi, it was the ANBU. He said, 'I'll take him to Hokage-sama,' or something." Kakashi closed his visible eye and crossed his arms, giving off the impression. Asuma and Anko waited for his reaction.

"No." _No? What the hell does he mean by that?_

Anko seemed to have guessed however. "Uh, yes, Kakashi. It was an ANBU."

Kashashi didn't even return her glanced as he replied, "No, because no ANBU ever came to the tower with a child. One of you come with me. You need to explain the situation." _'Cause I sure as hell won't. Jiraiya's gonna be pissed._

"Alright," answered Asuma. "Anko take that guy back to the medical tent once he's stabilized. Let's go, Kakashi." And with that, the two shinobi leapt in the direction of the village, leaving the genin with the wounded ninja.

"Man, why do I get stuck with all the hard stuff. Come on old man, let's get you to the medics…old guy? Oh shit, the bandages are bleeding through!"

------

The underground headquarters of the ANBU 'Root' forces was, by necessity, a secret. Not because the enemies of Konoha wanted to attack it, but for the fact that it wasn't supposed to even exist. Had the Sandaime known about it, he would immediately have shut it down, and incarcerated those involved. But the 'Ne' forces were not large by any stretch of the imagination. Compromising of only a few dozen individuals, each being rigorously screened and tutored, well, brainwashed really, by its leader. With such a small number of fanatically devoted followers, it's not hard to see why the populace and governing body was not aware of this organization. In fact, the only ones who knew of the existence of this group were either loyal to it, or dead.

"Open up, it's me."

The door to a closed restaurant slowly creaked open. There was no one inside as the kunoichi with the small bundle walked into the unlit foyer area. There, in the center of the floor, was an intricate design made of marble and other materials. She stood just to the right of the center of the tile and wrote on the floor;

_As long as the Roots survive, the Tree will thrive_.

The woman, along with her mission objective, faded from view.

------

"Who was this ninja you saw? Describe him."

The air in the office was thick with tension. Asuma stared back at his father. _Did I do something wrong?_

"This is import-"

"Alright. Male, about my height, and if I had to guess, one-hundred and fifty pounds. Standard ANBU attire, so I have no idea what he looked like." The tall, white-haired man next to his father spoke.

"Anything else? Think, boy, anything he said or looked at or reacted to? This is more important than you can imagine."

"I told you everything I know. What's so important about the boy anyway?" Asuma didn't miss the reflexive glance that passed between his father and the other old guy. "Go ahead, you can tell me. Who knows, it might jog my memory."

In a flash, the white-haired hermit slammed him against the wall, his forearm against his throat. "Don't you dare hide anything from me, boy! Tell me what you know, _**now**_"

"Jiraiya, please, keep calm! Let him go now!"

With one last withering glare, the old man withdrew his arm, causing the chuunin to slide to the floor. Taking some deep breaths, he slowly rose to his feet. "Sorry, sorry. Bad sense of humor…"

"Mixed with terrible timing, yes. But that is irrelevant. Now, one more time. You are absolutely sure you cannot remember anything distinctive about this man? Anything at all?"

Asuma repressed the urge to sigh. He liked breathing after all, despite his nicotine addiction. "Yes, Tou-san, I'm positive. I wish I had more information."

The other old guy, who he now recognized as the Toad Sannin, slumped against the wall. "No leads then."

His father tried to comfort the hermit. "We'll keep looking. You know, it isn't like you to give up so easily."

"It's harder to keep it up when you fail repeatedly." Asuma knew that there was more to that statement than the current situation, but he also was aware that it was none of his business.

"Am I dismissed?"

"Yes. Go back to the medical tents." Asuma nodded and left the office. As he traveled the corridors of the Hokage tower, his thoughts wandered to the boy in question. _I hope you're okay kid…_

_------_

From the eyes of the infant, had he been awake, he would have been surrounded by bright lights and people dressed in white uniforms. He would have been curious as to why they kept prodding and poking him. He would have cried, in a vain attempt to communicate, not knowing it would fall upon deaf ears. One of the men in the room stiffened, as he sense the presence of another entering the area. Swiftly turning, he greeted the newcomer.

"Danzo-sama, welcome." The man in question gave a slight acknowledgement, his attention focused on the child before him.

"Please, inform me as to the boy's condition."

Despite being a loyal follower, the uniformed man could not help but shiver at the undertones of his leader's voice. This was one man who did not take bad news well…

"He is quite a healthy boy, considering what he has gone through. Blood work and physical examinations show he is free of any illness or mental defects."

Danzo continued to stare at the individual, who began to feel sweat dripping down his forehead. He cursed silently. Of course he wouldn't be able to fool his leader. This man could read him like a book. Anyone, really. It was his greatest strength.

"Forgive me for my omission, Danzo-sama."

"Forgiveness…that will depend on how grave the problem is."

He felt as if he was going to relieve himself right there, but he steeled himself and took a deep breath. "It seems…it seems that the sealing of the Nine-tails had…unforeseen consequences."

"Go on."

"According to our agents, the seal attempt by the Yondaime was, in fact, just a trade-off. A deal with the Shinigami. Had it been another human, a container would not have been needed. Both souls would have been devoured. However-"

"A demon requires more."

"Correct, Danzo-sama. In this case the Hokage attempted to lessen the cost by just sealing it within the boy, in exchange for his life."

"Obviously, he miscalculated."

"Yes. The Kyuubi is the most powerful of the tail beasts, requiring even more than the Yondaime could have anticipated. The Shinigami could not extract anything else from the man, as he was already dead. So he recompensed from the only living thing connected to the sealing. The boy."

The man could have sworn he saw the eyes of his leader widen…or was it his own imagination?

"What did he lose?"

"…His eyes…he's blind, Danzo-sama."

This time there was no mistaking it, Danzo cursed loudly. "Are you telling that he is worthless to our plans?"

"I…I'm afraid so."

Quicker than he ever saw anyone move, Danzo was heading straight for him._ Oh shit, I'm so fucked._ However, to his surprise and immense relief, his superior whipped right past him towards…the boy? He was going to kill the boy?

_A pity, but weak roots only hamper the Tree_, thought Danzo as he plunged the kunai in his hand towards the baby's neck. _Also, it wouldn't do to leave evidence_. The knife sliced the air, falling towards its target. The infant open its blank eyes, and a brilliant flash filled the room.

Blood splattered against the wall.

------

Wow, I have a new appreciation for the work that goes into this stuff. To all those authors whose stories I enjoyed but never bothered to review, I shall punish myself for my ignorance. Until next time.


	2. Duty

Standard disclaimer applies.

**Ch 2: Duty**

"Sasuke! Wait up, teme!"

The boy in question turned his head to the annoying voice. _Not again._

"Hey, let's spar! Sensei probably won't get there for a while, and I got nothing better to do than to kick your ass!"

"Leave Sasuke-kun alone, Keiko! Can't you see you're annoying him!" shouted his other female teammate. Sakura shyly turned to face the object of her affections. Sasuke knew that look in her eyes; he saw it a hundred times before. _The whole world is populated with people who irritate me_.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun, you want to-"

She never got to finish her morning ritual, as their teacher appeared in front of her.

"Enough. Hokage-sama is expecting us. Now, follow."

If they were surprised at his appearance, they didn't show it. The trio knew better than to question the orders of their squad leader. The only who had ever said anything was Keiko, and they were mushy compliments.

"Of course, Itachi-sensei! We're ready to-"

"Be silent." That shut her up.

_Stupid girls and their stupid crushes. Why bother when one could train?_

_------_

Konohagakure, the Hidden Leaf village. Despite being one of the youngest shinobi nations, it had claim to a rise of power few could ever rival. Many inside the village were not aware of the origins of their home. It all began with the Bloodline massacres. These mass murders had occurred when those of the Hyuuga clan, at that time a part of Kumo, first came into conflict with the presiding Raikage. Even back then, Kumo fostered an aggressive eugenics program to further the powers of the bloodlines within their village. The result was the Sharingan. The mother of the first Sharingan child was a blood Hyuuga by the name of Natsumi. The father was none other than the Rokudaime Raikage himself, Hattori Aoshi. It was not a bonding made from love, but the Raikage's order that created the first Sharingan child. Aoshi had no love for his child; he just saw an avenue for more power, as those with power usually see the world.

Natsumi was adamant in her refusal to give up her child, for, unlike the father, she did not wish for any harm to come to her newborn, which would undoubtedly occur in the hands of that man. So, she ran away, as far as she could, until deciding to hide as a farmer in Fire Country. There she decided to raise her daughter. What, a daughter? Wasn't the first Uchiha one named Uchiha Madara? A popular misconception, at least by those who even know of the history of the Sharingan. In fact, the first person with the bloodline was a female. She was known as Hyuuga Midori. Actually, in an attempt to throw off their pursuers, her mother changed her last name to Uchiha, so Uchiha Midori would be more accurate. As the girl grew up, she did so without any knowledge of her true past, believing that her father died while she was very young. Her mother did not want her to know about the Raikage or the Sharingan, so she withheld such information from her daughter. She led a relatively carefree life, as any girl in her position would do so, eventually marrying a neighboring farmer's son, one named Kazuma Ichigo. As the years past, the two decided to move away after her mother had passed away. They traveled deeper into Fire Country, to a small, unnamed village. There, they had a boy, by the name of Madara.

Years past, and Madara grew into the strongest boy in the village. He was unnaturally fast, stamina unparalleled, and a mind as sharp as anyone had seen. The village was proud to have such a boy in their village, protecting them from bandits and such. News had spread about a boy in a village of Fire Country who rivaled even ninja. The aging Raikage, still enraged at the audacity of Natsumi, and by relation, the Hyuuga clan, ordered his men to capture the boy. One of those ordered was a Main House member of the Hyuuga, by the name of Takumi. A widespread search for the boy had begun in Fire Country. The daimyo was unable to prevent such an incursion; it would incur the wrath of Kumo, something his country would not survive. Fortunately, the situation was resolved by none other than the boy in question.

When they found the boy, they attempted to capture him. His father, Ichigo, tried in vain to stop the nin from taking his only child. They beheaded him for his insolence. Madara, who at that moment was no match for such elite shinobi, stared on helplessly as the enemy completed their gruesome deed. When his father's head rolled away from the rest of his body, the young boy's anger exploded. The Kumo nin never saw it coming. Half of them were dead before they realized the threat that had emerged. It was a quick battle, or a massacre, depending on your perspective. The last of the shinobi, Takumi as it turns out, trembled as he hugged his bleeding arm close to his stomach. He shuddered as the boy, now covered with blood stalked towards him. All he could think was…

_His eyes are so red…like a demon's…_

------

"Reporting as ordered, Hokage-sama!"

Sarutobi glanced up at the people he already knew were there. He couldn't help but smile at the girl's enthusiasm. "Yes, I can see that."

"Ready to go! So what high-profile assassination do you want us elite ninja to undertake? Or perhaps it's an infiltration into enemy territory? Or maybe a rescue?" Keiko was literally bursting with energy.

Sasuke snorted. As if they had done any of those things. All they had accomplished so far were tasks that could be done by toddlers.

"Actually, it is a rescue mission," said the Sandaime, his face settling into a serious countenance.

All three students' eyes widen. Then Keiko screamed, "All right! Finally, something that isn't stupid!"

Sasuke didn't verbalize his approval, but his smirk gave it away. Those who knew him saw this as a sign that he was excited about this prospect. Sakura herself seemed excited as well, but it wasn't hard to see the nervousness that settled over her features. _A rescue mission? We're just genin, we're not nearly experienced enough_.

Itachi, on the other hand, looked…the exact same. Even his younger brother couldn't tell if he approved or not.

"One of our most important clients has requested this mission. It is a rescue and retrieval. Take utmost care in handling this assignment." Then Itachi spoke for the first time since entering the office.

"Who is the target, Hokage-sama?" The Sandaime took a deep breath. The team members were on the balls of their feet.

"The cat of Hajime Seiko."

Keiko fell forwards. Sakura stumbled. Sasuke didn't move, but felt as though he had been backhanded across the face. Itachi, well...who the hell knows what he was thinking?

"Understood. Team 7, let's go."

As they began to leave the office, Sasuke looked back at Keiko, who hadn't budged. She seemed ready to explode at the Hokage, but instead she deflated.

"You know what? You suck, ojiisan."

------

"You love to tease her."

The voice belonged to another ninja who sat on the windowsill on the eastern wall.

"She assumes. A bad trait for a ninja." The newcomer didn't respond to that.

"You have your report ready?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama." The shinobi pulled out a scroll from his left hip pouch. "It seems that those rumors were false."

"I understand." The Hokage slipped the scroll into a drawer into his desk. "We'll discuss it later. Right now, we need to speak about your re-assignment."

The man quirked an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"You'll be taking Itachi-san's place as Team 7's instructor."

Sarutobi knew from experience that his subordinate didn't like that idea.

"For what purpose, Hokage-sama?"

"He is needed elsewhere. You are the only other available who is capable of teaching these children, especially Sasuke."

Ah, so that's why he was being re-assigned. "Circumstances dictated this change?"

The Hokage sighed. "They always do."

"When is this order effective?"

"Tomorrow. I will be briefing Itachi-san when you are meeting his team. Now, about your mission report…"

------

"Report."

"Kakashi-san has returned from his mission, Danzo-sama, and has just finished his briefing with the Hokage."

"Outcome of the mission?"

"Success. The rumors were silenced, and he was unable to discover any leads."

"Well done. Report back to your assigned post. We don't want people wondering where you've gone."

The ninja almost snorted, but held himself in check. Danzo-sama sure liked pointing out the obvious, but if he gave any outward inclination to what he was thinking, he'd be leaving in a body bag. Danzo required utmost obedience, in body and mind.

"As you command, Danzo-sama." With a shunshin jutsu, the man was gone. Danzo turned around, heading back into the arena where his trainees practiced.

_The future of the Root organization_…

The two boys were still exchanging blows. The black-haired one ducked beneath a roundhouse kick delivered by the boy with blond hair, springing from his crouched position with punch aimed towards the stomach. The blond continued with the momentum of his kick, and the attack causing a glancing blow. Without the resistance of the blonde's body, the other boy stumbled, leaving him exposed to his opponent. The blond brought down a knife-hand strike aimed at the back of his neck, only to dodge the kick heading at his face. When the boy slipped past his attack, the black-haired used one hand to flip away, creating some distance between his opponent and himself. They were ready to start anew when they felt another's presence. Both their heads turned their heads to the sparring area, as did Danzo's.

_He's awake_.

The newcomer approached the sparring mat. He bowed towards the two as he stepped onto the practice area. The original two nodded at each other before bowing to the arrival, then taking up fighting stances in front of him, as the third boy did the same. Without any signal, the two rushed their new opponent, a flurry of punches and kicks raining down upon their challenger. The boy was hard-pressed to avoid the attacks. It seemed as though he might have been on even ground against one of them, but it all he could do to defend himself. Once in a while a punch or a kick would slip past, but the melee continued. Danzo was getting annoyed

_He still holds back. This is a problem._

"Stop, all of you."

At the sound of the female voice, all three sprang apart. The voice belonged to a woman who glided gracefully into the training area. At first glance, she appeared to be out of place in such a secretive organization, and more suited to the courts of nobility. Dressed in a purple kimono covered with the design of white petals, her hair elegantly done, it was hard to visualize her as a deadly kunoichi.

"Naruto?"

The third boy turned to the woman. "Hai, sensei?"

"Holding back because they're your friends only stunts their own growth."

The black-haired boy just smiled cheerfully, as if he had already known that Naruto was holding back. The other blond, however, was not so accepting of this news.

"Dammit, Naruto! You're always playing with us! Stop doing that! It pisses me off that-"

"Enough, Kaizo. If you couldn't force him to fight seriously, then the failing is partly yours."

"But sensei, he never does! He won't unless he's fighting you!" shouted the boy.

"I guess then we'll just have to be as strong as sensei, then," spoke the black-haired boy.

"Correct, Sai. Train harder, for the glory of 'Ne.'"

The occupants of the arena dropped on one knee and raised their heads as the voice of their leader echo within the chamber. As one, they responded to Danzo's statement.

"Only with strong Roots does the Tree weather the Storm."

Danzo looked into each students' eyes, seeing the whirls of emotions that passed through them. Anger, pride, fear. But above all, a sense of devout loyalty to the ideals of 'Ne.'

"You have all become strong, enough so that I must call upon your skills, for the good of Konoha."

The woman in the purple kimono replied, "But Danzo-sama, surely they require more training? They are no more than genin in skill. Perhaps in a few years…"

"Your concern for your pupils is commendable, Megumi, but even genin are required to do missions. Regardless, they are ready for the tasks I must assign them."

The woman glanced over at her boys, then bowed her head. "Of course, Danzo-sama. Forgive me."

No response was verbalized, as Danzo attention was now on Sai, Kaizo, and Naruto. _They are strong, but they lack battlefield experience, and that is a flaw I must rectify._

"I have missions for all of you. Take them seriously, as your lives depend on it." His gaze lingered upon Naruto as the words left his lips.

Sai continued to smile cheerfully, as if he wasn't even listening. Kaizo grinned madly, excited at the prospect of a dangerous mission. Naruto…he simply stared unfocused, with small beads of sweat running down his forehead. One might think he was nervous about the mission, and Danzo knew that, in a way, he was._ He'll learn to fight seriously. Otherwise, he'll be killed_.

"Naruto, return to your room. I will summon you when I have completed briefing the rest of your team."

A little shorter than my last chapter, but it seemed like a good place to stop. Review if you like, but don't feel obligated. That way, I won't feel guilty when I read someone else's story and forget to review it.


	3. Convergence

Right now, I have no idea if anyone is confused about where this story is heading, or if anyone is even interested in this story, but if you are, don't worry. I have a good idea where I want to take this. If you have a specific question, feel free to ask. By the way, the Zabuza saga has already occurred. I didn't go through it because Itachi would destroy anyone involved, combined. What's the point? It would be like, "We're the Demon Brothers." Dead. "I'm Zabuza." Dead. "I'm Haku." Dead. Or, "I'm Tazuna. Sorry about lying about the threat level of the mission." Dead, depending on how ruthless Itachi was feeling that day.

Standard disclaimer applies.

**Ch. 3: Convergence**

If there was anything that Itachi enjoyed in his life, it was a challenge. Granted, he never showed any outward indication of such a feeling, but he knew it, and it didn't matter if no one else did. He looked for anything that would test his capabilities. This mission was one such outlet. He hurtled through the forest canopy at breakneck speeds, consciously reviewed his objectives.

"_You summoned me, Hokage-sama."_

_The old man did not speak, but pushed a folder across his desk. Itachi glanced down. It bore none of the markings of its mission classification. Two explanations were possible; either there was not enough information to judge the threat level, or it was black-ops, off the record. Itachi frowned. Those sorts of missions were reserve for ANBU exclusively. He cleared his mind of such thoughts. Conjecture was pointless, undoubtedly the mission briefing would have sufficient explanation. He reached for the folder._

"_This is off the record, Itachi-san." Well, that answered one question. "We have reason to believe that Kumo has been taking missions with objectives lying within our borders, without our permission. They have been careful, and no one has been able to discover proof of these activities, but the rumors are too widespread to be ignored."_

_The folder was flipped open. Eye-witness reporting sighting of Kumo-nin two kilometers west of a small farming community, near the Rice Country border. Size unknown, skill level unknown. Purpose unknown._

"_Try to find out what they are doing here, and if possible, capture one for interrogation. However, if you attempt to do so, be sure that, if there are others, they are unaware of the capture. We cannot let this tumble into a cause for war, but nor can we allow such operations to occur."_

"_Timetable?"_

"_Until the Chuunin exams. I will need you back here by then, regardless of the outcome of the mission."_

"_And my team, Hokage-sama? Who will be their instructor?"_

"_Kakashi-san. He will remain so until you have completed your mission."_

_Itachi glanced back at the folder, then up at his superior. "Understood."_

_Sandaime waved his hand in dismissal, but the gesture was in vain. Itachi had already left._

This mission could not have come at a worse time for his genin squad. It was prime training time for the Chuunin exams, and he expected for at least Sasuke to pass. How were they going to succeed if he wasn't around to guide them?

_Focus. The Hokage has assigned Kakashi-senpai to their instruction. They will be fine._

With that thought in mind, Itachi coiled the muscles in his legs, pushing off towards the next branch.

------

Not too far from Itachi's route of travel, two other ninja were also racing towards Rice Country. They bore no identification markings, not even the usual headband. One of the shinobi seemed to have trouble making his way through the forest.

"Let's stop here, Naruto."

The boy hesitated, and then landed on the ground next to the older ninja. "Hai, Yusuke-senpai."

Naruto was nervous, Yusuke could tell. And he could hardly blame him. This was his first excursion outside the Root headquarters. Being thrust into an alien environment would give anyone pause. The smells, the sounds, all of them reverberating inside Naruto's head. Yusuke wondered how long it would take for him to adapt. They were not far from their objective, and he could not afford to hold the boy's hand all the way. Showing weakness, even to the allies they were about to convene with, was definitely unwise.

"Rest, Naruto. You'll need to be focused when we get to the rendezvous point."

The boy wasn't listening. He stood still, listening to the sounds of the forest around him. The rough echo of a hawk's call resounded around them; Naruto rushed to the source. Yusuke cursed, and followed after his charge.

"Senpai, what is this animal?" Outstretched on Naruto's forearm was the hawk that drew him to this area.

"It's a bird, Naruto. A hawk."

Naruto turned his face in the direction where he felt the bird on his arm. "A hawk." The other arm slowly rose, fingers hesitantly stretching towards the animal. As they closed the distance, the bird let out a shrill cry. Naruto's hand whipped back from the bird. The animal left its perch on the boy's arm.

"Why did it leave, senpai?"

"You must have frightened it, Naruto. Many animals are afraid of humans."

"Then why did it land on my arm?"

Now Yusuke was getting annoyed. _Why couldn't Megumi have taken this mission? She can handle his questions so much better_.

"Now is not the time, Naruto. We have work to do, remember?"

"Hai, senpai." Without another word, Naruto started in the general direction of their campsite. Yusuke looked at the back of the boy, wondering what was so important about a blind boy who barely qualified as a ninja. Only Danzo-sama and few others knew that. He sighed. Regardless, he had a mission to complete. Yusuke started off after Naruto.

------

Despite Keiko's initial anger at not seeing Itachi-sensei in the morning, she admitted to herself that the Copy-nin was a good teacher. Unlike the elder Uchiha, Kakashi was willing to explain some things when they made mistakes. Like when Sakura was practicing her taijutsu. She knew Itachi-sensei saw the problem in her technique by the way he continuously glared at her during hand-to-hand drills. Only when Kakashi changed the way her left knee was facing did Keiko see what Sakura was doing wrong. Even Sasuke paid as much attention to the jounin's instructions when he saw this interaction.

_Maybe Kakashi-sensei will train us until the Chu- no! He's not our teacher, Itachi-sensei is. Besides, he's not a pervert. Itachi–sensei is so much better._

As if reading her mind, Kakashi slowly dragged the infamous novel from his weapons pouch, as if he was deliberately taunting the two females with his disgusting habits. Sakura's glare turned murderous.

"Sakura, Keiko, pay attention to your opponents."

Keiko looked back at the shadow clone, only to realize it had disappeared.

"Doton: Shinjuu Zanshuu no Jutsu! (Earth Type: Inner Decapitation Technique!)"

Keiko was surprised, to say the least. She was a Sarutobi! Yet, here she was, neck deep in the dirt. By a shadow clone no less.

_I bet he's laughing at me behind that mask. Just you wait, you cyclopean bastard. I'll teach you some manners._

Good thing she didn't say that part out loud, otherwise she would have seemed more foolish as she tried to free herself.

After a minute or so of futility, Keiko gave up on her revenge, instead settling on observing how her teammates were faring. Sakura, surprisingly, fared no better than she had. Even though Keiko was by far a more naturally talented ninja, she simply did not have the analytical presence that Sakura had in spades…at least as long as Sasuke wasn't involved. Then her brain turned into mush.

"Sasuke-kun! Ahhhhhhh!" She fainted dead away.

_Can't believe she didn't see through that genjutsu. She sure has some issues._ Keiko conveniently forgot that she was the same with Itachi. After Sakura fell to the ground, the Kakashi clone burst into a puff of smoke. Keiko tried to look for Sasuke, but his practice occurred behind her, and judging by the sounds of clanging kunai, the battle continued. Straining her ear, she heard the whistling of multiple kunai and shuriken flying through the air. There was a loud thunk as the weapons bit into a tree nearby. The wind rushed past her as Sasuke prepared a katon jutsu.

"Katon: Ryuuka no jutsu!"

The area became brighter for a few seconds, and then Keiko heard a pop, signifying the defeat of the shadow clone._ Oh great, that asswipe is gonna be so bigheaded. 'Ohh, look at me, I'm Uchiha Sasuke. I'm better than everyone 'cause I have a stick up my butt. Jerk._

Kakashi walked over to Sakura prone form, and dispelled the genjutsu. When Sakura awoke, he looked in Keiko's direction, and she felt herself being raised out of the ground.

"Well done, all of you. Itachi's been training you well."

Sasuke smirked while Keiko beamed at the compliment. They were being praised by someone Itachi-sensei respected! Keiko wondered if Sakura felt the same. She turned to the female, only to find her leaning against a tree for support. _She must be dealing with the after-effects of the genjutsu._

"However, you're still not ready for the chuunin exams. Not by a long shot. That's why we're going to do it again. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Three more of the one-eyed jounin appeared next to each student.

"Begin!"

------

"Sensei, what are we doing here?"

"Weren't you listening to Danzo-sama, Kaizo?"

"Of course I was! He said, 'Deliver this package to the Raikage.' So why are we in this village? Shouldn't we be in Lightning Country?"

"If you paid any more attention to the briefing, you'd know we're giving the package to an intermediary. If we went into Kumo ourselves, we'd be killed."

"If Kaizo paid any attention to the briefing, his tiny brain would have exploded."

"Shut the hell up, Sai! I'm gonna wipe that stupid smile off your fa-"

"Quiet! Just be quiet. You are representing Danzo-sama in front of our allies. We cannot afford a bad impression."

Kaizo had the grace to look ashamed, while Sai continued to smile.

The town they were in was large compared to most. With a large entertainment industry, there were many people going in and out of the gates. The perfect cover for an inconspicuous meeting. So was their civilian clothing. The trio entered a dango shop near the restaurant. Megumi scanned the room looking for their contact. A hand grabbed her shoulder. A masculine voice followed.

"Honey, you made it! The kids are here too! I got us a booth, so let's eat before we enjoy the sights." The man pushed her rather gently to a booth quite a ways from the entrance.

They all sat down, and Megumi got her first good look at the man. He was quite handsome, despite the scar running diagonally across his face. Attraction aside, if he could sneak up on her, he must be a ninja. So he was either the contact, or this was a trap. She glanced at her students. Kaizo glared at the man, and he was slowly reaching for his kunai. Megumi shook her head to tell him to cease his action. She knew Sai had seen it as well, so she returned her attention to the man in front of her. The only way to know for sure was the pass code.

"Did you get me something from Iwagakure, sweetheart?"

The man's shoulders slumped, and he replied, "No, honey. Customs was brutal. Who would've thought diamonds weren't allowed to leave the country?"

"Oh, that's too bad, Tou-san. But we got something for you." Sai then pulled out a small, rectangular box and slid it across the table.

"Oh wow, thanks guys! You know what? I'll open it when we get home. For now, let's enjoy ourselves."

The group then ordered some food, ate, talked about some meaningless things, and left the restaurant. Then they even went to a show together, trying to make the 'tourist family' façade as believable as possible to anyone who might be watching them. As they exited they exited the city, the man left their company without a word, heading directly towards Lightning Country.

"Wow, that wasn't so hard."

"No, it wasn't, Kaizo, and we were lucky for that. Anyway, we must report back to Danzo-sama. There are other tasks to be done."

------

Again shorter than the last chapter, but it seemed like a good place to stop. If you're wondering about what happened at the end of the first chapter, I'll explain it later.


	4. Confrontation

You probably noticed that Naruto is a bit introverted, pretty much opposite as he is in the manga. Keep in mind the environment he was raised in. While Kaizo and Sai were brought in as children, Naruto's entire childhood has been around ANBU-level ninja. He wasn't going to be the same. Don't worry, though. He will show more personality as he interacts with others. But it will happen slowly.

Standard disclaimer applies.

**Ch. 4: Confrontation**

"I see the master has sent a lackey instead of showing up himself? How shall I take this, hmm? Is it an insult? Or is Danzo simply afraid of me?"

"Danzo-sama is very busy, Orochimaru-sama, but I am his second-in-command. Danzo-sama reveres our alliance."

The snake sannin laughed at that statement. "Do not try to flatter me with false pretenses, Yusuke-san. It will likely get you killed."

Yusuke planned to take that lesson to heart. Here was one man that, under any circumstances, he was unwilling to fight. _If half the stories about him are true, then I don't have a chance in hell._

"Orochimaru-sama, please. We have other business to attend to."

"Kabuto, you take care of this. If that decrepit fool deems that I am not worthy of his presence, then I shall extend the same courtesy."

Yusuke watched as the Otokage teleported out of the room. He focused his attention on the young man who now took over the negotiation.

"I apologize on Orochimaru-sama's behalf."

"I too apologize on the behalf of Danzo-sama. It was not our intention to insult Orochimaru-sama."

"As long as we reach a proper agreement, there will be no trouble."

The threat veiled by that comment did not go unnoticed by the jounin. _If our terms are not to their liking, Naruto and I are going home in body bags_.

As if reading his thoughts, Kabuto said, "Are you sure your subordinate should be around for these proceedings? We are, after all, about to trade delicate information."

Yusuke nodded and turned to Naruto. "Naruto, return to the camp. I will meet you there after I have completed our mission."

"Hai, Yusuke-senpai." Naruto turned to leave when Kabuto appeared in front of him.

"Now, now, being blind as you are, we wouldn't want you getting lost, would we? Shinji will escort you outside." On cue, the said henchman appeared, taking Naruto by the arm and leading him out of the meeting hall.

"Now that that has been taken care of, let us continue with our discussion. Orochimaru-sama wishes to know the specifics of the Chuunin exams, and about a genin in particular…"

------

It was not how Itachi expected his mission to develop, but he wasn't complaining. He had looked for the Kumo-nin in the area that the villagers said they had spotted them.

_The clearing west of the village was deserted. Tall grass was prevalent in the area, obstructing his view of anything signs of a campsite. Along some paths the grass had been stepped on, but these areas were well-worn. It was impossible to tell if the tracks were by ninjas or the villagers. If there were ninjas here, they covered their tracks well._

_After an hour of fruitless searching, Itachi was ready to return to Konoha, and report this mission failure. He was about to do so when he saw the sun reflecting off a headband in the treetops…_

_Lucky for me, they decided to return to that clearing_. Now he was following the group in to what seemed to be Rice Country. _Perhaps that is where they are based. It would explain the relative ease of their incursions._

They were speeding up. Apparently they decided that they had no pursuers. _Now is a good time to capture one_. Itachi pumped chakra into his legs.

------

Lightning Country had never forgotten the damage that Uchiha Madara had caused its reputation. The only survivor of the mission sent to capture Madara, Hyuuga Takumi, came back a gibbering mess. All he spoke of was a red-eyed demon, one that was coming to killing them all. The depth of his fear was so great that Takumi literally ripped his own eyes out.

"_**Now I'll be fine. He'll still come, but he won't recognize me! You'll all be dead, but I'll be just fine! Hahahahaha!**_"

The Raikage had no choice but to put the main house member into the mental ward of the Kumo hospital. The damage had been done, however. Takumi had been a high-ranking member within the Hyuuga clan, well respected. To see him broken down so thoroughly shook that family to its very core. The clan head, a woman by the name of Hyuuga Tomoko, was especially concerned, most likely due to the pregnancy she was going through. If such a monster was coming to Kumogakure, it would recognize any Hyuuga, and probably slaughter them first. Her fear was no doubt irrational. How could one man, one not even an official ninja, kill off an entire clan? Many of the clan elders tried to assure her that the family was safe, and that Takumi was an exceptional case, but she would hear none of it. As long as the Hyuugas stayed in Lightning Country, the monster would kill them.

Most of the Hyuugas disagreed with the decision of their clan head to escape Lightning Country because of the whims of their emotional clan head. However, in the past, only the clan leader held the knowledge of the cursed seal used on the branch house members.

Everyone in the branch house was compelled to follow Tomoko, and without those members of the Hyuuga, the Raikage would be more willing to kidnap main house members for his eugenics programs. The clan agreed, reluctantly at best, that leaving the village was for the good of the clan.

------

_Feel the air around you. Listen to the changes in the environment. Map them in your mind's eye._

It was a mantra that Naruto always chanted while training. He had moved some distance from the campsite, settling into a familiar fighting stance. The leaves rustled, the grass stirred, and the wind blew across his face. After years of practice, he used his senses and his chakra affinity to describe the forest around him. _The clearing to the Sound base is to the north. There is a squirrel in the tree behind me. I'm alone._ Taking a deep breath, Naruto began his exercise.

------

"Sakura, look at me."

This was hard for her. Everyday at the academy, she was made fun of by the girls because of her wide forehead and even by some of the boys too. It didn't help that such teasing opened the door for other routes of attack, like how she would never have any friends, or no boy would ever like her, or even that she was just plain ugly. _Until Ino came along, that treatment was breaking me. _Because of that, it was hard for her to take criticism, even the constructive kind.

"You have the basics down, but you have to practice more. Your taijutsu is quite abysmal."

"Hai, Kakashi-sensei," replied Sakura dejectedly. For the past several days, their new instructor seemed to be only scrutinizing her, as she was the one to receive the bulk of the reprimands. It was just like Itachi-sensei.

_I thought it was just because Itachi-sensei was mean, but now that someone else has the same opinion…_

How does one cope when she feels that the whole world sees her as useless? Sakura was so depressed that she failed even to ask Sasuke out, something that alarmed both of her teammates. They both genuinely cared about her, and despite Sasuke's continuous rejections of her advances, he didn't want to see her hurt. He ran up to her.

"Sakura, all you alright?"

Even the fact that Sasuke was concerned about her did not lift her spirits up. "I'll be fine, Sasuke-kun, just need to think a few things over."_ Like whether or not I'm cut out to be a ninja._

"Hey, Sakura, don't let ero-sensei get you down. Prove him wrong! Yeah, that'll show him! In fact, I'll help you with you taijutsu. Whenever you want!" Keiko was jumping up and down by this point. _Wow, she can still do that after training?_ Still, it gave Sakura a modicum of comfort that her teammates saw some worth in her. Who knows, maybe she'll take her up on her offer.

"Maybe some other time, Keiko. Thanks, though." Sakura started walking away from the group, her troubled thoughts festering inside her.

"I hope she'll be okay."

"She'll have to be, if we want to succeed in the Chuunin exams."

"Sasuke! How could you say that?"

He turned to his teammate. "It's the truth. If she doesn't deal with whatever problems she has, it'll mess our team dynamic. That can be deadly during the exams."

"She's our friend too, ya know. Don't you care about her?"

"Hmph." Sasuke started walking back towards the Uchiha compound.

Keiko's shoulder's slumped, and began to walk towards her home.

"Of course I do."

Keiko's head whipped back to the boy, a small smile gracing his face. He turned around and continued on his way.

Keiko's heart leapt. She spun around and walked back home, and if one looked closely, they would see a ninja with a little skip to her step._ You're not alone, Sakura. No matter what, we'll help you get through this_.

------

The thrill of the hunt is something that Itachi strived at. His extraordinary ascension into the ranks of the ANBU as a teenager was a mark of that. Everyone could see how that ninja flawlessly completed any mission handed to him. So great was his success that he was elevated to the status of ANBU commander at the age of thirteen.

_Even that wasn't much of a challenge_. Itachi, in his continuing boredom, asked the Hokage for harder and harder assignments. Unfortunately, the Sandaime, with his misplaced sense of compassion, ordered him to take some time off. Itachi wasn't sure what would have happened if that order had been enforced.

_Good thing Tou-san stepped in._ Itachi wasn't naïve; he knew his father's protests were not out of concern for his eldest child. If that were the case, Uchiha Fugaku would have ceded to the decision of the Hokage. No, the objection was due to Itachi raising the Uchiha clan above the other 'noble' families of Konoha. The fame that Itachi's exploits carried caused many of those on the council to the wishes of his father. It didn't hurt that he was also the ANBU commander, and likely to be Hokage, if he so desired.

The Hokage relented to the wishes of Fugaku and the council. Even though he was aware of the bullying caused by the elder Uchiha, he had no power over the workings of the council. So Itachi and his father got their wish; Itachi stayed on as the ANBU commander, receiving missions that were, in the Hokage's mind, suicidal. For the genius ninja, they were challenges to be overcome, just as this mission was.

The Kumo-nin had crossed the Rice Country border a few minutes ago, yet they weren't heading directly towards the Lightning Country border. _Are they trying to shake off pursuers?_ If that was the case, they were exceptionally poor at it. Leaving a trail a mile wide, Itachi had no doubt they were heading straight for their destination, wherever that may be. He could still feel the chakra signatures of the group, and they seemed to be slowing down. Matching their speed, he dropped to the lower branches, quieting his approach. The further he traveled, the more certain that he sensed an additional, increasingly large chakra signature…

------

Side-kick, thrust-punch, downwards knife-hand block. As Naruto went through his practiced routine, flowing from one move to another, he recalled the words of Megumi-sensei. _Let the power flow through you, Naruto. The strength within you will only reach its full potential if you allow it._ Roundhouse kick, back-flip, block. He paused in his routine.

There were some men coming, Naruto realized. He could feel six chakra signatures surging towards him, as well as another slowly gaining. A straggler? Or perhaps a pursuer? Oh well, it didn't really matter, because no doubt they have already noticed him. Naruto felt around in his weapons pouch, pulling two shuriken into each hand, hiding them behind his back.

He could hear the six nin land next to the tent. An awkward silence held for a few seconds before one of the strangers broke it.

"Are you an Oto-ninja, boy?"

Naruto listened as the familiar scraping of kunai from their holsters echoed around him. He turned to the speaker.

"Sorry, I am not. Are you Kumo-ninja?" It was a pointless question. Naruto could already tell that they were. For all of the small time Naruto has been in the outside world, some things had not escaped his grasp. Until he left Konoha, he wasn't aware that people from the same countries bore similar scents. People from Fire Country had a woody aroma about them, while an Oto-ninja's odor was stale, as if staying underground for too long. These men had no such scents, and the only others with business in sound territory were Kumo shinobi.

"The entrance to the Oto base is to the west of here. If you hurry, you can catch you to Shinji-san. He'll show you."

The ninja still seemed quite wary, but returned the kunai to their holsters. "Show us the way then."

"Sure. But maybe we should wait for the straggler."

The shinobi who spoke first, presumably the leader, barked out an order and all dispersed, camouflaging themselves within the tall grass, with one heading in the direction Shinji left.

"There is no straggler. Stay with me, boy. We must confront our pursuer."

Naruto gulped nervously. A real battle…he did not want to hurt anyone, but he would if it would help Danzo-sama and his allies. _Anything for the Tree to thrive_.

------

_They've stopped. And right next that enormous chakra…no now one is leaving…Kuso! They know I'm here_. And that dissipating chakra signature was obviously going to get reinforcements. _If I'm going to capture one, I need to take them out now!_ Sharingan activated, Itachi burst towards the clearing.

------

"This your first fight, boy?"

"…Hai."

"Don't be afraid. It's six against one, and reinforcements are coming. Whoever it is won't stand a chance."

_I'm not afraid of our opponent…_

_**You are afraid of yourself… the engine of destruction that you have become.**_

The enemy ninja shot out of the forest and into the clearing.

------

Hope somebody is enjoying reading this, 'cause I like writing it. I can't promise constant updates, but I'll try. Until next time.


	5. Emergence

Standard disclaimer applies.

**Ch. 5: Emergence**

There were no introductions, no warnings or pre-battle boasting. It was foolish to think otherwise. These combatants were ninja, and as such those actions were useless to their goals.

Itachi wasted no time, heading straight for the leader of the Kumo nin. _Incapacitate the commander, take out the rest_. His opponent seemed surprised at the speed at which Itachi closed the distance between them. Nevertheless, both he and the teenager next to him threw a pair of shuriken. The Uchiha pulled out a kunai, blocking three and plucking the last one from the air. He sent his kunai to the elder shinobi, while returning the boy his weapon. They jumped apart, avoiding the weapons, but Itachi wasn't expecting them to hit; but they did separate, allowing the jounin to concentrate on the greater threat.

The rustling of the grass behind him signaled him to the movements of the hidden Kumo-nin. Itachi grabbed a handful of shuriken, twisted his body around, and threw them in a spread pattern towards the other soldiers. Caught unawares, one of the enemy fell to the ground, a shuriken lodged deep in his throat. The others scattered, buying him a few seconds.

The teenager came hurtling at him. Itachi was surprised by the skill this boy had. He could give Sasuke a run for his money. _Still, it's nothing that to be concerned about._ Grabbing the boy's oncoming punch, he twisted the ninja's arm, causing it to fracture along its entire length. The boy let out a grunt of pain, and he backed off, cradling the damaged limb. Itachi didn't pursue. The leader was still the objective.

Naruto had known pain far worse than what the ninja had inflicted on him. Training always had risks, and the possibility of death was always prevalent. Still, training did not have the intention of killing your opponent, and Naruto knew that if he lost, he would be dead.

The enemy nin was now attacking the Kumo shinobi in charge, and the others, minus one, were closing from the rear. The enemy flowed like water, yet his moves were so hyper-disjointed that Naruto had trouble understanding where his next attack was coming from. A blast of superheated air hit Naruto's face, and the smell of charred flesh invaded his nostrils. The battle still raged, so one of his allies must be dead.

His chakra flared through his fractured arm, fixing the bone. Flexing the arm, Naruto readied himself as the skirmish headed towards his position.

------

"Well done. You will rest for today, then I have your next assignment."

"Thank you, Danzo-sama. Sai, Kaizo, return to your quarters."

"Hai, sensei." The two shinobi left the office, leaving the jounin and her superior alone.

"I believe that I dismissed you as well, Megumi. Am I mistaken?"

Megumi flinched. Even though she had the utmost respect for this man and his beliefs, she still could not suppress the shivers that ran down her spine when she looked into his visible eye. She took a deep breath.

"Indeed you have, Danzo-sama, but I wish to make an inquiry of the status of my other student."

An unfamiliar smirk placed itself on the man's visage. "The status of his and Yusuke's mission is, at this moment, unknown. If they do not return within the week, I shall declare them killed in action, and have any records of them destroyed, as is protocol."

"Danzo-sama, if you would permit me to track them down, to provide support, I-"

He raised his hand, effectively silencing her. "It is their mission to be concerned about, not yours. Should they die, you must accept it and move on. Respect them as is befitting a shinobi of 'Ne.'"

If a third party had been observing the conversation, Megumi would have appeared to accept her master's order. Dnazo knew her better than that, however. There was an internal struggle going on within her, between her loyalty to Danzo…and her love for Naruto.

"_Concentrate, Naruto! Focus your mind."_

"_I'm trying, Megumi-sensei! It's just too hard!"_

_The eyes of the jounin softened as tears ran down the little boy's cheeks, exhausted from all the effort he had put into his training._

"_Okay, Naruto. We'll take a break. Go lay down. I'll call you when it's time to start again." The boy nodded tiredly, wiped the drying streaks of wetness from his face, and dragged himself to the mattress in his room._

_Megumi pushed herself up from her kneeling position, watching the fatigued child leave the training area._

"_You are too soft on him. It is unlike you to be so…caring." Megumi was not surprised that her master had been watching. Naruto was his most important project. The potential the boy had was beyond comprehension._

"_If I have erred, Danzo-sama, then I will rectify my mistake."_

_Danzo let out a small sigh, barely audible even to the sense of the kunoichi. "No. His progress is admirable, better than I had anticipated." He placed his hand upon his shoulder. "However, I must question the wisdom of being too close to him."_

_Megumi turned around, and the hand slid from her shoulder._

"_For the glory of Konoha, sometimes we of 'Ne' must do distasteful things. There will be a day where one must sacrifice for the greater good. You and I, even Naruto may be called upon for such a duty. If such a time comes, will you or Naruto be able to tolerate such an occurrence, with such a bond between you?"_

_Megumi knew the answer to that, and so did Danzo. Of course she could…now. But with the path she placed herself on, that conclusion would no longer be a certainty._

"_Think about what you shall do to rectify this situation…or I will be forced to step in."_

"_Hai, Danzo-sama," came the automatic response._

_The one-eyed man pivoted and left the room, leaving Megumi with her own thoughts…_

"I understand, Danzo-sama. Still, please inform me of when the outcome of their mission has been decided." _Maybe I was able to sever any bond Naruto had with me, but I was unable to do the same for myself._

"Very well."

------

It was incredible, thought Naruto, as he painfully raised himself from the ground. The level of skill that this ninja had displayed. Already, two more of the Kumo-nin were dead, and their leader was missing his arms, judging by his cries. The only ones to oppose this shinobi-god were himself and a kunoichi who sounded like she was about to faint. _This man is a demon, a monster…_

_**Why don't you show him what a true monster is…release me, and I assure it will be the last thing he will ever see**_.

Naruto didn't reply to his tenant as he willed the fox's chakra out of his system. He refused to use that…thing.

"Give up. There is no point in continuing."

_Buy some time, reinforcements will be here soon._ "Who are you? Why were you chasing them?"

"Talk is pointless. If you do not surrender, I will kill you."

The kunoichi broke. Naruto could hear her body twisting as she ran in the opposite direction in a desperate attempt to escape. It was in vain. The enemy moved even faster than before, cutting off the kunoichi's route. The girl screamed and threw all her shuriken at the man. Desperation gave her added strength allowing two to cut along his left arm. It was a hollow victory. The ninja's hands blurred through hands seals, ending with the smell of charred flesh hitting Naruto's olfactory senses.

Naruto stood frozen as the enemy returned his attention to the only one left to oppose him.

"I will not repeat myself."

_What can I do? This shinobi is too powerful. Am I…am I going to die?_ Deep in the recesses of his consciousness, Naruto knew that, one day, he could be killed. One day, he would meet someone stronger, faster, and just plain better, and they would show no mercy. _But so soon…I haven't done anything with my life. I haven't realized Danzo-sama's dream…and still I must die?_

_------_

It was curious for Itachi as he watched the boy struggle with himself, as if debating whether or not to continue fighting. Truthfully, he hoped the boy would surrender. It was doubtful that the remaining Kumo shinobi would survive. Itachi was no medic, but that man had lost a lot of blood. It would be a miracle if he lasted through the night. _Perhaps I was a bit…overzealous. _It would be preferable to capture the boy, seeing as how any damage he inflicted upon the teenager almost instantaneously healed. An amazing power, no doubt, but one Itachi had overcome before.

"Very well."

The jounin's hands flew through well-practiced hand-seals, ready to disable the boy with one of his genjutsu.

"Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu (Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique)."

------

_A genjutsu?_ For the first time since the battle began, Naruto could feel a surge of confidence. He could use this to his advantage. The ninja did not appear to know that Naruto was blind, and therefore immune to visual illusions. Still, he needed to fool the enemy in order to strike.

------

The boy predictably fell to his knees, his face twisted into unconcealed horror. Itachi watched as the shinobi continued his descent to the ground, landing face-first in the soil.

_Mission complete._ No more than four minutes had passed since the engagement had begun. Unless the enemy encampment was much closer than he suspected, then there was plenty of time to escape.

Fifteen meters. No need to hurry. When he reached the boy, he would apply a tranquilizer.

Twelve meters. The leader of the Kumo-nin stopped screaming…and breathing. Good thing he left the boy alive.

Nine meters. The boy ramrod still. If it weren't for the fact that genjutsu could not kill their victims, Itachi would have been worried that the mission was a failure.

Six meters. He pulled out a vial and a syringe. Plunging the needle into the top of the container, he took twice the prescribed amount. _In case that healing ability of his works on chemicals._

Three meters. Still no sign of reinforcements. If they were coming, they were too late.

Itachi knelt down, moving the boy's prone form so that his face was skyward. Itachi studied the ninja's features. A relatively handsome young man, with wild blonde locks. Traces of baby fat still clung to his face, along with three slash marks on each cheek. _Scars, or maybe birthmarks?_ Still, those characteristics were not what caught the jounin's attention. It was the boy's eyes. They had a sharp azure color that Itachi had rarely seen before. Only Sakura had comparably exotic pupils. They may have had a brightness to them except for one detractor. _Why are they so…unfocused?_

A kunai swung in an arc towards his head. To say he was surprised would be a hell of an understatement. The weapon grazed his temple, causing a small trickle of blood to seep down by his ear. He retreated from the boy. _Did he dispel my genjutsu? No, he never used any chakra. He acted as if it affected him in order to draw me closer._ This boy was clever, but Itachi simply saw it as momentary setback.

------

_Kuso!_

This was not how it was supposed to happen. No one should be able to dodge from that close. It boggled Naruto's mind how quick the man was. It was like striking at mist, a mist that wanted to kill you.

Now Naruto was out of ideas. This situation unraveled the moment he left the Oto-nin hideout. He felt around for any approaching chakra signatures, hoping for a familiar trace of Yusuke-san. No such luck. All else had failed. He would have to rely on his _other_ ability…

------

Itachi was not expecting this. Apparently his opponent had another ace up his sleeve. _I may have to get serious._ Three tomoe marks appeared in each eye, signifying the activation of his bloodline limit. What he saw astounded him.

_So much chakra…and it's growing._

_------_

Danzo shifted some papers to the side of his desk, leaving an open space. Taking a pen, he pulled out a blank scroll and began to write. The words were very pretty, as if presentation was just as important as content. Sometimes, that was the case, as it was this time. Another missive to the Raikage, and it had to be carefully prepared. His plans for Konoha's prosperity hinged on every detail, every decision…

_Danzo was brought back to consciousness by a groan emanating from the man next to him. He tried to open his eyes, but they refused to comply. Through sheer force of will the eyelids slowly fluttered upwards, revealing a sight Danzo was not expecting._

_All the occupants of the room slumped against the outside wall. Some were bleeding, some conscious, and others had yet to awaken. But there were two who would never do so. One had apparently flown into the lab's wall headfirst, caving in his skull and breaking his neck. The other had the kunai Danzo was wielding in his forehead, eyes wide in surprise. Danzo traced the path to where the dead eyes were fixed upon._

_The boy was sheathed in chakra, flickering wildly about him. Had the Kyuubi broke the seal?_

_Some of his men apparently thought so. They rushed towards the infant, determined to end the threat. Those who reached the chakra first were incinerated upon contact. The others managed to slow their momentum, but still they did not escape unscathed. Some were burned badly, where others lost limbs. The pulsing chakra seemed demonic, and Danzo would have thought the Kyuubi was escaping its container…except for the fact that the chakra was the wrong color…_

_------_

He watched as the blue chakra rolled in waves across the boy, sheathing him in an azure light.

"Retreat now. I do not want to kill you."

Itachi did not answer. Two kunai flew from his hands, each heading for an elbow. If the boy planned to use that chakra for a jutsu, then the jounin planned to stop him.

The two kunai split the air, heading straight for their respective targets. The boy did not move. Itachi watched in fascination as the two kunai dissolved upon contact with the chakra. Ironically, Itachi began to have the same thoughts as Naruto had at the beginning of their confrontation, without the accompanying fear._ This sort of chakra capacity and regeneration rates are only seen in demons…so why is his chakra blue? Could it be his own?_ Itachi shook his head. Speculation was useless at this point. Right now the mission must succeed. He raced towards the boy, pulling out a scroll as he did so…

------

Wow, this is hard. I'm astounded how some people can write ten thousand word chapters. Anyway, the mystery of what happened to Naruto as an infant has been revealed. Never seen a story where someone's chakra did that, but if there is one, I hope it's alright that I used it. Until next time.


	6. Capture

Okay, warning time. In this chapter, Naruto going to have a major personality change. It's sudden, so you'll be like, "WTF?" Don't worry, there's a good reason for it, and it'll be explained. Also, you're probably asking why Kabuto is not in Konoha, since he was supposed to be in the last seven Chuunin exams. That'll also be explained.

Standard disclaimer applies.

**Ch. 6: Capture**

"Well, it seems that our transactions are completed."

Yusuke nodded. This boy was quite the negotiator. Twice he nearly gave away critical information for that which he knew was useless. _Quite a slippery tongue he has_.

The young man smiled. "Well, now that our business is concluded, my men will see to your departure. Have a pleasant return."

Once again, Yusuke nodded. He did not trust his mouth in front of this boy.

Two masked guards, similar to the ANBU of Konoha, appeared at the entrance door…but not by Kabuto's request.

"Kabuto-san, one of the Kumo-nin has returned. She requests an audience."

"By all means, show her in. Oh, and escort our guest back to the surface."

"Hai, Kabuto-san. Yusuke-san, please follow us," gesturing for him to leave the room.

Yusuke began to walk out of the room, relief building with every step. _Almost done. Once we return to Konoha, I won't be responsible for the Kyuubi-gaki._

_------_

The chakra surrounding the boy seemed to be a shield of sorts. As Itachi dodged the attacks that the boy was throwing at his person, he became more and more curious at this new ability. _A bloodline-limit, perhaps?_ The chakra did not move from its position around the boy. _It seems to be purely defensive. And quite a defense it is._ Still, Itachi had ways he believed he could counter it.

The boy's blazing fist took advantage of his distracted musings and slipped past Itachi's guard. Only with a last-second twist did he avoid having a hole in his stomach. Itachi circled around the boy, the scroll in his possession fluttering in his hands. The boy did not waste any time trying to stop him. A flurry of destructive punches and kicks flew through the air as Itachi calmly evaded each. _He doesn't appear to be using his chakra for any muscle enhancements_. Indeed, the boy's moves were comparably the same as before his transformation. A roundhouse kick raced to his head. Itachi ducked, and then flipped back as the boy renewed his assault. He looked down at the scroll he held in his hands.

Intricate kanji and designs graced the surface of the scroll. Itachi bit into his thumb into his thumb and rubbed it against the paper. An ANBU-issued katana poofed into existence. Settling into a battoujutsu stance, the jounin waited as the boy closed the distance.

------

The power was intoxicating. Chakra flowed through his veins and throughout his entire body. The supply was endless. It was all Naruto could do to control himself. He felt like a god. _This is incredible! Why was I ever afraid to use it? _He turned to his opponent, who in turn slid into some stance with his sword. _He thinks he stands a chance against me? He quite impudent._ Naruto smirked.

"You're making a mistake, fool. You cannot win."

The shinobi said nothing in return. He simply move his feet for better stability in his stance. _He's not taking me seriously! I'll show him! _Naruto's smirk twisted into a snarl. "You listen to me, you bastard! You're going to die! I'll show you why the others fear me!" Naruto pumped his chakra into his legs, and the ground beneath him crumbled. He shot in the direction of his enemy, fist cocked back. The man didn't move, but Naruto didn't care, he just wanted to smash his face in. The fist now hurtled towards the man's face.

The katana flashed through his vision, and Naruto was sent tumbling backwards. The tree that halted his progress turned to ash. There was a cacophony of noises banging around inside his head. _How…how is this possible?_ Painfully, he raised his head, staring at the damage done to his body. Already, the fox's chakra was knitting the split flesh together, soon leaving only a rapidly fading scar and a lot of blood. He pushed himself to his feet, stumbling a bit as the blood loss hit him. Once again, the Kyuubi was enhancing his bodily functions, causing his heart to pump faster, circulating the rest of the fluid more quickly.

Naruto turned his attention to his opponent, only to see the katana on the ground, half-way turned to slag. The snarl returned.

"Where are you! Come back and fight, you coward!" He got a response this time.

"Dokugiri (Poison Mist)."

A purple haze surrounded Naruto. "What's this? You think you can poison me? This stuff won't even touch me!" A voice emanated from behind him.

"It's not supposed to."

Naruto felt a sharp pain at the base of his neck. Then all he knew was darkness.

------

Itachi watched the boy fall to the ground as he let the chakra that enveloped his arm dissipate. _Mission accomplished._ Itachi turned his gaze to his arm, now covered in blisters. _What a dangerous power._

Another scroll found its way into Itachi's palm. Laying it on the ground, he took out a brush, writing a single kanji. Dozens of different symbols immediately jumped off the paper, wrapping themselves around the boy's wrists, ankles, and neck. The paper burst into flames after the last kanji left its surface.

Itachi's head swerved to the west. _Others are coming. Time to go._ Placing the boy over his shoulder, Itachi bounded through the clearing and into the trees.

------

Sasuke watched as Keiko and Sakura slipped into their stances.

"Thanks for doing this, guys."

"No problem! We're a team, remember?"

Sasuke's reply was decidedly more terse. "Concentrate on training."

"Hai, Sasuke-kun," was Sakura's answer, while Keiko gave an un-ladylike snort.

"Of course, Uchiha-_sama_, your wish is my comman-"

"Begin."

Sakura, surprisingly, made the first move. Kakashi wasn't lying when he said Sakura's taijutsu was abysmal. It was easy for Keiko to read the path of each strike. Sakura's punches were always cocked back, instead of coming straight forward. The leg in which she kicked always twitched right before she attacked with it. But that wasn't the worst part of it. _She's relying too much on academy lessons. _Indeed, it was painfully obvious that Sakura sticking to the basic moves from the academy, ones that everyone knew how to counter. After a few minutes of pointless sparring, Sasuke decided that he had enough.

"Stop. This will get us nowhere."

Sakura's eyes fell downward, and Keiko glared at the Uchiha. "Well, we have to do something, and sparring will help."

Sasuke ignored her comment. Instead he walked towards Keiko. When was standing next to her, Sasuke turned to face Sakura, who was now watching him with a questioning look on her face. Her countenance turned to one of alarm as he fell into a fighting stance as well.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Sakura. You will be fighting both of us from now on. At the same time."

Once again, Keiko was appalled by what came out of Sasuke's mouth. "Sasuke! We're here to help Sakura, not pulverize her!"

Sasuke snapped an annoyed glare at his brown-haired teammate. "The Chuunin exams are only a month away. If Sakura is to stand a chance, the training must be brutal." He turned to Sakura. "This way has many advantages. She'll be stronger, faster, more adaptive, and capable of fighting against more than one opponent. That is, if she can handle it."

Both turned to the girl in question. She smiled right back. "Sasuke-kun is right, Keiko. If I can't handle this, I'll probably get killed during the Chuunin exams. Getting beat up seems like a better option than dieing, you know?"

Keiko wasn't convinced, but relented. "Alright, Sakura, we'll do it teme's way. But don't hesitate to stop us if it becomes too much."

Sakura merely slid into her fighting stance. Sasuke started running towards her, with Keiko close behind.

------

Yusuke knew Naruto was missing before he even got to the clearing where their campsite was located. The familiar stink of blood and fire emanated throughout the area. Not only that, but Naruto had not returned. Naruto, with his exceptional sensitivity to detecting chakra signatures, would have sensed him coming, and reported on the situation. No such occurrence. When Yusuke, the surviving Kumo-nin, and the Oto hunter-nin arrived at the clearing, the sight nearly made him empty the contents of his stomach. As a ninja, you see some pretty gruesome things, but you never quite get used to it. The hunter-nin immediately fanned out to search for the assailant, while the kunoichi slid to the ground next to the body of a shinobi, sans arms. She was muttering something, but Yusuke couldn't make it out. Frankly, it wasn't his concern. Naruto was.

The sun was setting, and the dying light cast an eerie glow into the trees east of the clearing. There was a body in the trees, with two kunai lodged deep within the spine, effectively slicing the vertebrae from each other. The wound was still fresh, and the blood had not coagulated. Yusuke watched as it dripped slowly down. As he did so, the light from the setting sun reflected off an object in the corner of his eyes. He saw what was supposed to be a sword, half melted by something. What that was, Yusuke could not surmise, but that didn't hold his attention for long. He recognized the craftsmanship of the blade, as it was exactly like his own. Here was an ANBU-issued weapon. _Konoha knows about us? No, that can't be._ Still, Yusuke had to affect damage control for this situation.

Yusuke turned to the kunoichi, who now kneeling next to another of her comrades, again muttering something. _Must be religious_.

"If any of the Oto-nin asks, tell them I went back to Konoha with my partner."

The woman just nodded and gave a wave of dismissal. Yusuke ran into the trees, back towards Konoha.

------

"How did the dealings go, Kabuto?"

"As well as can be expected, Orochimaru-sama. The attack should run smoothly."

"And the boy? I don't like wasting my time attacking Konoha if I don't get what I want."

"They have provided us with several routes in which to acquire him. I believe that the Chuunin exams would be the most opportune moment, but further study is required to be sure."

"Very well. I will be waiting for your recommendation. In the meantime, I have business to take care of in Sunagakure."

Kabuto bowed to the fading silhouette of his master. "As you wish, Orochimaru-sama."

The figure vanished completely, and Kabuto returned to the information brought in by Danzo's second-in-command.

------

_Sasuke-kun sure didn't pull any punches._

There was no denying that. Sakura looked like she had been hit by a train. From the beginning of the spar and straight to the end, it was a massacre.

_The fist connected with Sakura's solar plexus. All the air left her body, and the force was enough to send her tumbling backwards. Lying flat on her back, Sasuke suddenly entered her vision, falling towards her. Uttering a gasp of surprise, Sakura managed to back-flip out of the way right before his knee slammed down where her face had been. She had no time to celebrate. Keiko's leg came swinging into her side, connecting with the kidney area. Once again, she was propelled by the force of the strike. On the edge of her peripheral vision, shuriken headed her way. She brought out a kunai, but one slipped past her guard and nicked her shoulder. Sakura winced as the blood flowed from the wound. It wasn't anything serious, but it still hurt like hell. Already, Sasuke and Keiko were heading for her position. She decided to go on the offensive. Pulling out another kunai, she launched both towards her teammates, running once they left her fingers…_

_Fat lot of good that did._ Sakura hissed as the ice-cold compress was placed against her eye. Keiko looked at her, pity in her eyes. Sasuke looked apathetic, but his words told her otherwise.

"I'm already seeing an improvement, Sakura. If we do this everyday, you'll probably be ready when we take the exams."

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

"Do not think it will be like this all the time, Sakura. Whenever I see improvement, I will make it markedly harder for you during training. Keiko will do so as well."

Once again, Keiko looked appalled at the Uchiha's apparent ruthlessness, but Sakura spoke first. "I need to be ready, Sasuke-kun. I'll do whatever it takes."

Apparently that was the preferred statement, since Sasuke smiled at her. Sakura could feel her knees get weak, and she wasn't sure if it was from the training or from that desirable facial expression.

"Well, that's enough for one day, don't you think?" asked the other kunoichi. "See you guys tomorrow!" Without waiting for a reply, the girl started walking away from the training area, leaving the two alone.

A minute or so past until Sakura got to her feet. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Sasuke-kun."

"Hn."

The two started off in opposite directions.

------

_One week later…_

Around the village of Konoha, beyond the massive wall that protected its inhabitants, millions of acres of forest covered the landscape. It is one of the Leaf's greatest military disadvantages. The cover of the trees and the sounds of the wildlife allow for any enemy to sneak dangerously close to the wall. To counter this problem, the Nidaime Hokage issued a decree that it was the ANBU's responsibility to patrol the forests, and provide advanced warning against any attackers.

One such patrol happened to stop near a towering oak, resting after a five-hour circuit in the eastern quadrant.

"When do we get relieved?"

"In two hours, I think."

"Thank Kami. I hate patrol."

"Ryoko, you whine too much."

"Oh, shut it, Kuragasa, I didn't ask for your opinion."

"Enough. You are ANBU. Act like it."

The two in question turned to the third. "Hai, taichou," they said in unison.

"Yes, ANBU should be more disciplined."

All three whipped around towards the source of the intruder. There they saw a man a black shirt and pants and, more importantly, a Konoha headband strapped to his forehead.

The leader of the patrol recognized the man.

"Itachi-san." The man in question leapt from the branch, coming down to the floor of the forest. He shifted the boy on his shoulders.

"No time for pleasantries. Take the boy, utilize all precautions so that he is restrained, especially from his chakra. I will inform Sandaime."

------

Okay, some people might be thinking, "Yay, SasuSaku!" or "No, not SasuSaku!" I have no idea about pairings. It just seems to add some character to the individuals if there is more conflict, even romantic conflict. I'm not a fan of SasuSaku myself, but IF it works for the story, I'll do it. Who knows what'll happen. Thanks for reading.


	7. Interrogation

You know, I just got my first reviews. I know I said that it didn't matter to me what other people thought of my work. Shows what I know.

**Loli04** - Thanks for the encouragement.

**Kariol** – Keep your fingers crossed. Who knows, you might get your wish.

Standard disclaimer applies.

**Ch 7: Interrogation**

"Itachi-san, you have returned from your mission, I see."

"Hai, Hokage-sama. Please, come with me. I will explain why on the way."

"…Very well. Lead the way, Itachi-san."

------

When the Hyuuga clan decided to flee Konohagakure, it was to the complete surprise of the elders that Tomoko decided to flee into Fire Country. Wasn't the monster dwelling in that area? Once again, the elders assumed it was the emotions caused by pregnancy that brought about this fit of irrationality. They were even planning to overthrow her, regardless of her knowledge of the curse seal. After all, what good would the curse seal be if the clan was wiped out? However, for all the examples of emotion displayed by the clan leader, Tomoko never did anything without reason.

In the past weeks, rumors had been circulating about two missing-nin from Kirigakure being spotted within the borders of Fire Country. Two brothers, in fact, who were legendary in the eyes of the people of Kirigakure. Whispers told of the two men being hunted by the _**Kiri no Shinobigatana Nananin Shu **_(Mist's Seven Swordsmen). When two of them returned with five body bags, none of which contained their targets, the Mizukage decided that they weren't worth the trouble. Missing-nin were flocking to these men, and Tomoko saw a chance to protect her clan from the retaliation of the Raikage.

Under the span of two weeks, the Hyuuga clan systematically extracted themselves from the borders of Kumo, allowing for discovery of their departure to be delayed until most of the main house members and some of the branch house members had safely extradited themselves to Fire Country. When the Raikage learned of this treachery, he immediately sent his hunter-nin, along with the remaining Swordsmen to capture those in the compound. When the enemy arrived, the main house members decided that the branch house members would delay the approaching nin while they, the main house members, escaped. It worked, but, according to the reports of the hunter-nin, all of the branch members were killed. That did not bother the main house very much. After all, wasn't it the duty of the branch house to protect the main house? Those branch house members who survived the exodus never saw it that way, and their hatred for their relatives only amplified.

------

"Wow, Kakashi, I didn't realize you were teaching now."

"It's temporary. Anyway, these students are why I asked you here. One in particular."

"Can I order something first?"

In response the gray-haired jounin beckoned to the waiter, who rushed over to accommodate the ninja.

"What can I do for you, sir?"

"Just some sake for me."

"And for you, ma'am?"

The red-eyed woman turned to the waiter. "Anmitsu for me, thanks."

The waiter bowed and retreated from the table. The two jounins returned their attention to each other.

"Well, what is it that you wanted?"

"I was wondering if you could do me a favor."

The woman stared questioningly. "What?"

"I need you to help out one of my students with her training."

Kakashi steeled himself for what was to come next.

"You do realize, Kakashi, that I have students of my own, ones that require my full attention?"

"I'm aware of that, Kurenai, but-"

"So what makes you think I'd be willing to forsake them just because you're too lazy to train your own?"

Kakashi sighed. "First of all, this is only a temporary thing. Just until the Chuunin exams. One of Itachi's students is not ready for it, but you can help her rise to the level she needs to be at."

"She's a genjutsu-type?"

Kakashi nodded. "It doesn't have to be long hours or anything. Just show her how to do some useful techniques. She can practice on her own. All she needs is a little guidance."

Kurenai laughed. "And since you are unfamiliar with most genjutsu, you're not very qualified in that regard."

The waiter had returned, and placed their respective orders in front of each of them.

"If I do this, I want you to do something for me." Kakashi stared at her, allowing her to continue.

"Hyuuga Hinata, one of my students, is worried about how she will fare against an Uchiha. You know how it is between those two clans." Kakashi knew only too well.

When he and his team participated in the battles against Iwagakure, events led to him losing his left eye and his best friend, Uchiha Obito. Before he perished, the black-haired boy told the medic on their team to transplant his undamaged eye into Kakashi. Upon return to Konoha, word of the incident had already spread to the village. As expected, the Uchiha clan was furious that an outsider held the power coveted most reverently by their clan, the Sharingan. They demanded that Kakashi be made an official member of the Uchiha clan. The Hyuuga, long-time rivals of the Uchiha, refused to allow such an occurrence. The boy was a genius the likes of which were rarely seen. His addition into the ranks of the Uchiha would cause a radical shift in the balance of power between the clans. The Hyuuga clan elders told the Hokage that he should be put to death.

_Thank Kami sensei stepped in._ Kakashi saw first-hand how much the heads of such powerful families feared his instructor. A shoo-in for the position of Yondaime Hokage, Kazama Arashi told everyone involved, in no uncertain terms, that Kakashi was not to be touched, nor would he ever be in the jurisdiction of a clan. Only the Hokage gave the teenager orders. If the clans forced their decision of the boy's fate, Arashi said he would not hesitate in destroying the guilty party. Predictably, the two heads backed off.

_Heh. Good times_.

"-so when you kill the clown, I want you to strap it to a goat and parade it around the village. And you have to be naked, of course."

"Wait, what?"

"I knew you weren't listening." Kakashi scratched the back of his head, giving a sheepish smile. "Just spar with my student, so she can become familiar with fighting against the Sharingan. Then I'll tutor Itachi's student."

"Deal. Thanks, Kurenai."

"Sure, whatever."

------

Whenever Kaizo was bored, he would usually train with one of his teammates, be it Sai or Naruto, or even Megumi-sensei. Other times, he enjoyed getting out of 'Ne' headquarters and walking the streets of Konoha. It gave him a sense of pride, that he was one of the few that had been tasked with the duty of protecting this village. Everything they did was for the benefit of the people around him, even if they weren't aware of it.

It took some doing, but he managed to convince Megumi-sensei to leave the compound. He, along with Sai, decided to visit some of the stalls that dotted the marketplace of Konoha.

"There sure are a lot of people."

"You said it, Sai."

The hustle and bustle of the marketplace threatened to overwhelm Kaizo. Being secluded for most of their lives, the two never got used to crowds of people. Being pushed and shoved from many directions, Kaizo was tempted to jump to the rooftops, in order to avoid the traffic. He didn't, though. One of the conditions of a visit top-side was that they were not allowed to attract attention to themselves, ruling out the use of ninja skills entirely.

"Let's go to that store, Kaizo. There aren't many people in there."

Kaizo followed the direction Sai's finger was pointing towards. It appeared to be a weapons shop, one of many in the market. Kaizo nodded his head in agreement.

"Yeah, we won't be squashed to death in there."

The two teenagers pushed their way to the entrance of the store, where the proprietor greeted them warmly.

"Hello. Please, take your time with your purchase. If you have any questions, my daughter will be happy to assist you." The man gestured to a pretty girl about their age, with brown hair wrapped in buns.

"Pleased to meet you, honored customers."

Sai stepped forward. "Thank you. We were looking for a gift for a friend. He's not a ninja, so it needs to be practical for civilians like us."

Kaizo grabbed his arm, but Sai just shook it off. The girl adopted a thinking pose, then after a few seconds, her eyes widened.

"I know just the thing! Wait here, please." The daughter of the owner ran into the back of the shop.

Once again, Kaizo grabbed his arm, and this time, Sai turned around. "What is it, Kaizo?"

The boy didn't respond, but merely pointed outside the shop, towards the rooftops.

There, on the roof of the shop opposite of them, was Tazo Yusuke, Danzo-sama's second-in-command. Immediately, he leapt of the rooftop, heading in the direction of 'Ne' headquarters. _Why is he in such a hurry?_

"Come on! Let's go!" Once again with the grabbing of the arm.

"Why?"

Kaizo looked at him as if he'd grown another head. "Don't you remember? Yusuke-san left at the same time we did. And he left with Naruto!"

Sai's eyes widened.

"Come on, Sai! Let's go see Naruto!"

The girl reappeared from the back of the shop, holding a well-polished wooden bo staff. "Here it is, honored customers, a weapon of great qual…honored customers?"

Sai and Kaizo were no longer there.

------

_Oh, my head…_

"Awake, I see."

Naruto snapped his head towards the voice…and soon regretted it. A blinding flash of pain stabbed up through his spine. He almost lost consciousness, but the man speaking would not let him.

"Stay awake, boy, or you'll regret it."

Slowly, Naruto strained his senses to focus on his surroundings. From best he could tell, there was light in the room, due to the heat it radiated onto his skin. The man who spoke was the only chakra he sensed nearby, but there were others, constantly moving. Two were heading in his direction. He recognized one as the ninja whom he fought. Immediately, Naruto began struggling against the chains that bounded him, so much so that he attempted to call upon his chakra.

"That's no use, boy. This room is warded to suppress any chakra, even from one as powerful as you."

Naruto ignored him, hoping that he was bluffing. Again, Naruto concentrated on drawing out his chakra. It was there, he could feel it, but it seemed to be just out of reach.

Naruto's head snapped backwards as the man's fist made contact with is face. Blood dripped out of Naruto's mouth as he dazedly ran his tongue over his teeth, relieved to find he did not lose any.

"Every time you ignore me, child, it will get worse." The man had a deep baritone voice, one that sent shivers down Naruto's spine. This man sounded like he was experienced in his field.

"Now, I have some questions I would like answered. I do not have to be cliché and threaten you if you do not answer, do I?"

Naruto said nothing, and a fist answered his silence. More blood spurted from his mouth, and Naruto thought he felt a rib give away.

"I know all about your healing ability, so we can continue for as long as you like."

Naruto's lack of response did not seem to deter the interrogator.

"Now, why were you with those Kumo-nin?"

------

Ibiki had a problem. At present, he was standing in front of a blind teenager who was chained to the chair placed in the middle of the cell. It wasn't the first time that he interrogated a minor. After all, shinobi aren't judged by age. No, the fact that the prisoner was just a boy did not bother him; it was that he was blind. For an expert in extracting information, there were many ways to discern if the captive was telling the truth; the body language, speech patterns, and, most importantly, the eyes. For a reason unknown to Ibiki, a human being found it very difficult to prevent emotions from being expressed through said sensory organs. While it was comparatively easier for a shinobi than a civilian, Ibiki knew first-hand that even ninja could not effectively prevent it.

But this boy, with his vacant stare, gave off no indication that the answers he gave were genuine. The boy probably knew it too, since he seemed too willing to cooperate. The boy did not lack courage, Ibiki was certain. To fight the Uchiha Itachi, especially after he displays his skills by slaughtering your comrades, took a fair amount of guts…or an excess of stupidity.

There was a knock at the cell door. Ibiki spun around and bowed as the Sandaime Hokage and Uchiha Itachi entered the cramped cell.

------

Shorter than usual, but oh well. Thanks for reading.


	8. Insertion

Sorry it took so long. That damn Harry Potter book kept me away from my computer.

Standard disclaimer applies.

**Ch. 8: Insertion**

Control. That was the crucial ingredient to the success of any plan. It was this component that Danzo prided himself in being an expert. For years, he had carefully monitored every facet of his plans, making sure that nothing was left to chance. Sometimes, unexpected obstacles would rise to hinder his goals, but, as a master manipulator, Danzo turned mountains into stepping stones. The attack of the Kyuubi was, in his mind, the greatest example of his ability to adapt. There was one situation, however, that was coming close to replacing it.

Yusuke had rushed into his office, sweat running down his entire body, as if he had been running for days. Gasping for breath, he struggled to speak to his leader.

"Da…" another intake of air. "Danzo-sama. Naruto has been captured by a Konoha ninja."

------

"This is the boy you captured, Itachi?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

The Sarutobi kept his eyes on the boy through the two-way mirror. Bright blond hair and blue, vacant eyes contrasted his dark green, tattered trench coat, which covered torn black shirt and pants. The boy wore no headband, and, according to what Itachi told him, he was not a part of the group of Kumo-nin that Itachi was tracking. The door swung open and Ibiki joined with the two, staring at the boy.

"Have you learned anything, Ibiki?"

The scarred jounin closed his eyes, as if going through the interrogation in his mind. After a minute, he opened his eyes.

"Nothing that can be confirmed, Hokage-sama."

"Please, tell me anyways."

The boy says his name his Yatsuda Katsu. He tells me that he is an orphan, thrown out of his village due to prejudices."

"Because of his ability."

"Yes, Itachi-san. He says that he was living on his own when the Kumo-nin came to his encampment. They were asking him directions when someone else showed up. I assume that was you, Itachi-san. After that, he said there was fighting, and he lost."

"He did not elaborate on the fight?"

"No, Hokage-sama, he did, but just mentioned sounds and feelings. He is, after all, blind and-"

"No, Ibiki," started Itachi. "He is lying. The way he fought, it was almost as if he could see me. I also believe that he could sense me as well, since he was ready when I approached him and the Kumo-nin. He should be able to give a better description."

"I considered that, Itachi-san, but I have yet to discover a means to extract the facts from him. He is telling the truth, or he has had ninja training."

Sarutobi glanced back at the boy in the chair. The teenager was staring right at the mirror. If the boy had eyes, it would not have been a surprise. _But he's blind, how does he know there's a mirror in the cell?_ Itachi answered his question.

"He seems to have very acute senses, it would seem."

The Hokage turned back to the scarred jounin. "Ibiki, move him, but keep him in similar confinement, and see if you cannot block that awareness of his. Itachi, return to where you fought the boy, and see if you can find anything that will explain who this boy is. In the meantime, Kakashi will continue to watch your team. I will call you both when I have made a decision about the boy's fate."

------

"Sensei! Sensei! We saw Yusuke-san return!"

Megumi turned to her students, shock evident on her face. "You saw him?"

Kaizo nodded excitedly, while Sai just continued to smile, albeit somewhat genuinely this time.

"And Naruto? Did you see him?"

Megumi wasn't happy when the boys did not immediately answer. Their reluctance told her everything; Yusuke had come alone, and Naruto was not with them. If that was the case, then Naruto might have been captured or killed…

"Both of you, return to your quarters. I will speak with Yusuke-san." Kaizo opened his mouth to protest. "Now."

Deflating, Kaizo turned and sulked back to his quarters. Megumi turned to the opposite direction when Sai spoke up.

"Naruto…did not return, did he sensei?"

Megumi stiffened, but did not turn to face her student. "I will know when I have spoken to Yusuke-san. Now, return to your room, Sai."

"Hai, Megumi-sensei." Megumi began walking, her stride increasing as she progressed to her leader's chambers. Already she could hear the voices of the two men speaking, muffled by the closed entrance of Danzo's office. When she reached the door, she forced herself to calm down; irrationality was not how one conveyed thoughts to Danzo. She knocked twice on the door.

"Come in, Megumi."

The door creaked as she entered the office. Yusuke was leaning against the wall, apparently out of breath, while Danzo had his hands interlaced and in front of his face, giving Megumi the impression that he was deep in thought.

"We have a serious problem on our hands, Megumi."

Judging from the tense atmosphere, she deduced that the source of the problem was Naruto.

"Where's Naruto, Danzo-sama?"

Danzo's eyes rolled to look straight at her. "He has been captured by ANBU. I have sent an agent to verify his whereabouts, but as of this moment, his status is unknown."

Megumi's heart leapt to her throat. _Naruto has been captured?_ As a prisoner, he would be sent to ANBU headquarters to be questioned. _Tortured is more like it._

"Yusuke and I were discussing the proper response to our dilemma."

"What were you planning, Danzo-sama?"

This time, Yusuke spoke up. "We might have to get rid of him."

Megumi could not hide the alarm that showed in her eyes. "Kill him? But he is one of us. We can't just abandon him."

Yusuke opened his mouth to respond, but Danzo raised his hand, and both fell quiet.

"Megumi, you seem to have a vested emotional interest in Naruto."

Megumi couldn't deny it. She knew that Danzo already knew of how she felt about Naruto.

"Regardless of my feelings, Danzo-sama, Naruto is a very valuable tool. To lose him would be a huge blow-"

"And every second he stays in their custody is another second that we risk being exposed!"

Megumi glared murderously at Yusuke, who stared back defiantly. Once again, Danzo raised his hand, and both turned their attentions to their leader.

"Both of you have exceptionally valid points. However, I have decided upon our course of action. It will proceed as such."

------

_Two weeks later…_

"Ahh, another beautiful day! Makes you wanna sing, doesn't it, teme?"

Sasuke shrugged her arm off his shoulders, giving her a glare that could've melted steel. Naturally, Keiko just ignored.

"Come on, I know you want to. Underneath all that brooding emo-ness is a cute butterfly just trying to burst out and soar high into the clouds! Hey, that's a good nickname for you; Butterfly! It represents everything you're not."

"You just won't shut up, will you?" Without Itachi around Keiko seemed to latch onto him. But instead of showering him with affection, like Sakura, she decided to torment him. In front of him, Keiko started skipping.

"Happy days, teme, it's all about the happy days!"

_Okay, what the hell?_ Keiko was acting even more fucked up than usual.

"Why are you acting so foolish, Keiko?"

"Because Itachi's returning as your instructor, Sasuke."

Sasuke whirled around towards the source of the voice. Kakashi entered the clearing with a swirl of leaves falling around him, along with the Hyuuga girl who had been a part of their training for the past two weeks.

"Kakashi-sensei."

"Sasuke, Keiko. This will be our last training session together. Afterwards, Sakura will return from Kurenai's tutelage and rejoin with you two for official practices. Itachi will also return as your instructor."

"Why?"

"Well, this was only a temporary assignment for me. Itachi is responsible for you three."

Sasuke shook his head. "No, sensei, I mean, why now? He has been back for a while now, yet you were still our teacher. Why?"

Kakashi just shrugged. "I wouldn't know, Sasuke. I wasn't privy to that information."

Sasuke cursed inwardly. If Kakashi wasn't told, then there was no chance in hell his curiosity would be sated. _What were you doing, nee-san?_

Two arms wrapped around Sasuke's neck, hugging him loosely. "There you go, being all emo. Lighten up! Sakura and Itachi-sensei are coming back! We'll be a _real_ team again." At the emphasis, Keiko glared at the Hyuuga girl, as if she was an intruder.

Hinata just stared at the other kunoichi. "Jealousy is not a good look for you, Keiko-chan."

Keiko, predictably, exploded. "Jealous?! I'm not jealous! You were cheating! I would have beaten you if you weren't using the Byakugan!"

Hinata gave a small, condescending smile, as if she was scolding a small child. "It is not my responsibility to fight how you want me to fight. My only responsibility is to myself and my growth as a ninja, just as your responsibility is to your own."

Keiko sputtered, looking for a comeback, but failing to do so. Fortunately for her, Kakashi stepped in.

"Whatever conflicts any of you have, I don't care. Once we finish with this session and I'm gone, you can settle your disputes. For now, however, we train."

------

A whisper left her lips, "Magen: Kokoni Arazu no Jutsu (Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique)."

The trees began to swiftly fill the area as Kiba rushed towards Sakura, with Akamaru bounding behind him. He swiftly avoided one sprouting oak only to find Sakura seemed to phase through said tree, closing in for taijutsu. Kiba smirked. _Sakura can't believe she can beat me in taijutsu, does she?_ Kiba leaned backwards, using his momentum to kick her sternum. The kick passed right through her_. Bunshin?_ A fist smashed across his face, knocking him flat. Before he realized it, a kunai was sitting across his neck.

"Well done, Sakura," Kurenai said as she walked right through one of the 'trees.' "Excellent combination."

Sakura, whose breathing was slightly labored, got up from her kneeling position next to Kiba, and bowed towards the jounin.

"Thank you, sensei."

The red-eyed woman turned her attention to Kiba. "Kiba, if you do not take your opponent seriously, you will always lose, no matter how good you are."

Kiba just picked himself off the ground, sulking as he did so. He was so sure he could beat Sakura, especially since she was considered only a bookworm at the academy. _How did she improve so quickly?_

"Well, today is the last day Sakura is joining us for training. Tomorrow, Sakura, you will meet with your team to practice for the Chuunin exams. Hinata will be doing the same."

"Hai, Kurenai-sensei. Thank you for all your help."

"It was my pleasure, Sakura-chan. Good luck in the exams." With that, Kurenai teleported from the training field.

Sakura bowed once more before turning to Kiba. "Thanks for sparring with me, Kiba. I appreciate it."

He knew that she was being sincere, but Kiba was still embarrassed about the spar, and kept quiet. Sakura's hand quivered, and the next thing Kiba knew was that another fist had hit him upside the head.

"Ow, what the hell you do that for?!"

Sakura's whole body shook. "I thank you for helping me, and you just ignore me?! You're a jerk!"

Kiba waved his hands in a placating manner. "Alright, alright! I'm sorry!" Suddenly, Sakura stopped shaking, and replaced her glare with a bright smile.

As she walked away from the training field, Kiba muttered under his breath, "Yeah, I'm sorry…that you're such a crazy bitch."

As the fist careened towards his head once again, all Kiba could think about was;_ Why can't keep my mouth shut?_

_------_

_The next day…_

The three genin stood on the bridge, their meeting point. If anyone had been watching, they would wonder why they weren't at least greeting the girl in the red dress. After all, not being with her team for the past two week should illicit some kind of reaction. Of course, seeing as how they had being meeting after training to train together, the three felt no need to greet one another. Of course, it doesn't mean that they were standing around like zombies. Keiko was literally bursting with excitement, ready for the return of their sensei, and her idol, Uchiha Itachi.

"Man, I can't wait till Itachi-sensei shows up! He'll be so proud of us!"

Sakura wasn't as extroverted as Keiko was, but she too was excited to show their sensei how much she had improved. _Finally, he'll take me seriously._

Even thought he did not express it, even Sasuke was impressed by the improvement Sakura had shown. She still wasn't on par with him, of course; after all, the Uchiha were the elite. Still, her combination of genjutsu and taijutsu could be deadly, as his brother displays so effectively.

Other people passed them on the bridge, most of them civilians. Some were heading towards their places of business, other to the marketplace, and still others to miscellaneous destinations, their footsteps resonating through the air. Slowly, two pairs of much quieter footfalls approach them, and Sasuke could recognize one as the steps of his brother.

All three turned to see the two approach, their pace steady and unhurried. As the two closed the distance, Sakura was the first to notice the boy next to her instructor. Wild blond hair first caught her eye, along with the boyish features that gave him an adorable look. Sakura began to blush when this thought entered her head, but merely dismissed it as a physical attraction, not at all what she wanted. When she had calmed herself down, the rest of his appearance sunk in. He was wearing baggy tan pants along with a green t-shirt that seemed a little too big for him. In fact, his clothes seemed as though they were hand-me-downs. Her roving eyes returned to the boy's face, and then she saw them; two bright blue eyes. At least, they would have seemed bright if they weren't so vacant. The two eyes were so empty that Sakura wondered if the boy was even using them.

Sakura was intrigued by those eyes that she didn't notice the boy and Itachi were standing in front of the three. Sakura jumped when Keiko poked her in the back, and returned her attention to her sensei.

Itachi stared at each of them separately, as if he could see their improvement merely by looking at them. Suddenly, he pulled out three pieces of paper, and handed one to each of them.

"Kakashi-senpai tells me that all three of you are ready for the Chuunin exams. I trust his judgment, therefore you all will enter. Now, however, we shall train." He started to walk past them towards the training area, with the blond boy in tow.

Keiko was the first to speak up. "Umm, Itachi-sensei?"

Itachi stopped and turned to face his student. He did not reply, which Keiko took as a sign to continue. She lifted her hand and pointed towards the stranger.

"Who is he, sensei?"

Itachi glanced at the boy next to him, then returned his sight to Keiko. "His name is Yatsuda Katsu, and he will be joining us for training."

------

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll try not to be late with the next update.


	9. Introduction

Standard disclaimer applies.

**Ch. 9: Introduction**

It wasn't difficult being Hokage most of the time. Sure, there were situations that require you to make stressful decisions. A threat to the village, council politics, control of the civilian population, and so forth. But such circumstances are far and few between that the only constant occupational hazard of being Hokage was, in fact, boredom.

The monotony of paperwork that comes with the job is never advertised in a village. After all, what kind of self-respecting ninja would want to sit behind a desk his whole life, instead of going on exciting and dangerous missions? No, being the pillar of the village, the one everyone looks to for guidance and inspiration, that's what being the Hokage is all about. Effectively, it's a trap for those gullible to fall for it. At least, that's how the Sandaime felt about it.

Rifling through a set of very official-looking documents, the Sandaime Hokage couldn't help but feel annoyed. He was supposed to be retired, damnit! A lifetime of service to his village was supposed to be rewarded with peace and quiet for the rest of his life. The old ninja sighed. It wouldn't do to dwell on lost opportunities. A last man he trusted with such responsibility was already dead, having given his life to protect his home. He pulled out a folder from underneath all the paperwork. Only his son lived now…

_The elite jounin walked up the stairs, slowly closing the distance between himself and the doors to the Hokage's office. The secretary did not stop him as he pushed open the door. Uchiha Itachi was famous enough that even a civilian such as herself knew of him. _

_The Hokage was looking through the window when Itachi entered, light clouds of smoke leaving the pipe in his mouth. Itachi's nose twitched. He would never understand the allure of something that hindered one's abilities as a ninja. One had to be able to breathe after all._

"_You've returned."_

_Itachi didn't reply, but only moved to set the file on the desk of the Hokage. The Sandaime didn't move to pick it up, but instead turned around to look at the Uchiha._

"_The boy is still in custody."_

"_I assumed as much."_

"_Ibiki will be here within the hour. Once he arrives, we will use all the information we have retrieved to conclude this business." Itachi nodded, and took a seat in one of the chairs along the wall of the office._

_Twenty minutes had passed before the interrogator arrived, holding a black binder. When he entered the office, the Hokage picked up the folder that Itachi had placed on his desk. Inside were several photographs._

"_As you ordered, Hokage-sama, I returned to the site of the encounter."_

_The Hokage nodded in affirmation. "Did you notice anything out of place?"_

"_All of the bodies were removed. However, the campsite, which I assume belongs to the boy, was untouched."_

"_So either the Kumo-nin are not associated with the boy, or did not anticipate your return."_

"_That is what I concluded as well, Hokage-sama."_

_The Sarutobi turned to the heavily scarred jounin. "Ibiki, has the boy given any new information?"_

"_Iie, Hokage-sama. The boy sticks with what he told us first." The jounin flipped open the binder, pulled out a sheet of paper, and placed it on the desk. "However, his medical report revealed something to us."_

_Most of the information scrawled on the document was inconsequential, as far as the old man could tell. Blood type, white blood cell count, and so on. _

"_I'm not sure I understand your meaning, Ibiki. What is so special about this boy?"_

"_It's the blood type, Hokage-sama. A very small ratio of individuals have an AB positive blood type, and the ratio is even smaller within the ninja population. Almost always, the blood type is hereditary."_

"_And?"_

"_I cross-referenced the blood-type and our estimate of the boy's age with those of Konoha who had the same blood type and had children within that time period. Only two fit. Sarutobi Yasuo, who's daughter Keiko was born, and Kazama Arashi, whose son was never found after the Kyuubi attacked."_

_Realization immediately dawned upon the Sandaime's face, and even Itachi was surprised at this revelation, as his eyes widened fractionally. He opened his mouth to speak._

"_Are you telling us that this boy is the son of the late Yondaime?"_

"_Yes."_

_The evidence was compelling, but Itachi still wasn't convinced. "How can you be sure? You say you checked with the families of Konoha, but what if he is not from here? What if he was born in a different village? Or perhaps he is either older or younger than he appears?"_

"_I've already considered those possibilities." He reached into his binder and pulled two sheets of paper, handing one to each of the other occupants in the office._

"_Hokage-sama, Itachi-san, what you are holding is the structure of the boy's chakra system. It is varied from most."_

_The Sandaime was still trying to grasp the possibility that the legacy of the Yondaime still lives when he took the sheet from Ibiki. When he glanced at the paper, he recognized the discrepancy. "His chakra system is incredibly dense."_

_Ibiki nodded. "Hai, Hokage-sama. When I saw this, I went to the Hyuuga who mapped out his chakra system and asked his opinion."_

"_What was his response?"_

"_He said that the only reason someone should have a chakra system like this was if he had to control an inconceivable amount of chakra."_

"_Are you saying that the boy is the Yondaime's heir because his chakra system is built to withstand the Kyuubi's chakra."_

"_Yes…and no."_

_Itachi was getting tired of the roundabout way Ibiki was explaining this situation. "Ibiki, tell us what you know."_

_Ibiki raised one hand as a placating gesture. "What you must understand is that all the facts must be told in a certain order for the circumstances to be logical." He took a deep breath. "If you look at the map of his system, you will see that near the surface of the stomach, there are two separate chakras."_

_Both the Sarutobi and the Uchiha returned their eyes to the paper they were holding._

"_The blue chakra, which is obviously the boy's, is holding back the red chakra, which must belong to the Kyuubi." Once again, he reached into the folds of the binder, pulling out another sheet, and handed it to his leader. "The first mapping was a day after Itachi-san brought him in. This is two weeks later."_

_Instead of another picture, this paper was a graph. There were three lines, with the ever-so slightest inclines. If he wasn't a ninja, he might have mistaken them for straight lines. The Hokage raised a questioning eyebrow to his chief interrogator._

"_That, Hokage-sama, is the increase in the boy's chakra capacity, chakra regeneration, and the density of the of his chakra system. That was just in two weeks. At this rate, he'll have more chakra than anyone ever documented by the time he is twenty-five."_

_The Hokage handed the sheet to Itachi, who scrutinized the graph carefully._

"_Do you know why his body is behaving so abnormally?"_

"_I have a theory, Itachi-san. Based on our experiences with the Kyuubi, we know that demonic chakra is extremely corrosive to humans. I believe that the boy's chakra is acting as a natural buffer between the boy and the Kyuubi."_

"_Then why is the boy getting stronger?"_

"_Because of the deterioration of the seal."_

There weren't many times in the old Sarutobi's life when he wished he could change the past. Orochimaru's betrayal was one, but even that paled to the situation in front of him. _If only we had refined the seal, to protect the boy from the demon's chakra…_

The past was the past, however; there was nothing he could do now. If the current development continued within the boy, they were safe from the demon's power.

_But are we safe from the boy's?_ With all his heart, he hoped he had made the right decision.

------

"Even though I said that I trust Kakashi-senpai's judgment, I still wish to see what you have learned separately. Sasuke, I will begin with you. The rest of you, begin with your chakra control exercises." The two Uchiha brothers walked to thetraining area adjacent to their own.

Once their instructor left the field, the two kunoichi immediately turned their attention to the newcomer. So far, he hadn't spoken up, even when Itachi-sensei had introduced him. Keiko was the first of the three to speak up.

"Hi, Katsu-kun. My name is Sarutobi Keiko. It's nice to meet you." She extended her hand.

The boy did not say anything for a few seconds, and Keiko felt like she was dealing with another Sasuke, when he closed the distance between them and attempted to shake her hand, and instead grabbed her wrist. He immediately shifted his hand to her palm. "It's nice to meet you as well, Keiko-chan."

Keiko turned to Sakura, who had been staring at the boy the entire time. When she noticed the other kunoichi looking back at her, she blushed in embarrassment at being caught. She raised her hand towards the boy.

"Hello, I'm Sakura."

"Nice to meet you, Sakura-chan."

An awkward silence fell between them. Keiko kicked a stray rock. It tumbled past Sakura's feet, who was fiddling with a lock of her hair. Surprisingly, it was Katsu that broke the silence.

"Well, I suppose we should train, shouldn't we?"

------

When Sasuke returned from their spar, he expected to see his two teammates pelting the newcomer with questions. Therefore, it came to a surprise when he saw all three actually doing the tree-climbing exercise. At least, Keiko and Katsu were still continuing. It came to no shock that Sakura was resting at the bottom of her tree. _She really needs to improve her chakra reserves._ As they approached, all three turned to face him.

"Sakura, you're next. Nee-san is waiting."

"Hai, Sasuke-kun." The pink-haired girl brushed off her dress and stood up. She started off in the direction that Sasuke came from, leaving the remaining three alone in the field.

Sasuke turned his attention to the stranger among them. Curiosity got the better of him, and he strode towards the newcomer. The boy jumped from the tree he was clinging to as Sasuke approached him.

"You are not from Konoha, are you?"

------

The question was direct. Keiko knew that Sasuke avoided pleasantries whenever possible. _Still it wouldn't have hurt to introduce himself_.

"No," replied Katsu. "I was found by Itachi-san during his mission, apparently."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as Katsu said this. "Did you fight my brother?"

Keiko turned back to the blond-haired boy, only to see him chuckling. "No, if we had fought, I'd probably be dead right now."

Sasuke's body visibly relaxed, but he still kept up with the questions. "Where are you originally from?"

The chuckling continued, and a hand found its way to the back of Katsu's head. "Well, to tell the truth, I'm not sure. I lived in what Itachi-san called Rice Country for most of my life, but…"

Keiko couldn't help but join in the conversation. "But what?"

The boy hesitated, as if unsure how to continue. Fortunately, Sasuke had already deduced the answer. "You don't know where you're from." Katsu nodded.

Sasuke persistently continued. "If that's so, how come you know how to use chakra? And for that matter, why are you training with us?"

The chuckling turned to a quiet, nervous laughter, and Keiko was starting to feel sorry for the guy. "Alright Sasuke, that's enough. Don't you think Itachi-sensei would have already asked the important questions already to make sure he's trustworthy?"

The Uchiha glared at his teammate for interrupting him, and was about to retort when…

"She is correct, ototo." Sasuke turned to see both his brother and Sakura standing behind him. "The Hokage and I both have screened this boy. He is training with us only for today as a means to measure his abilities compared to other genin. As to whether he is worthy of trust, that is the decision of the Hokage, and you will respect it."

Itachi's gaze slid over to Keiko, and she felt her face heat up when he nodded to her. "It is important for a ninja to trust the judgment of her superior." Keiko gave him a bright smile, pleasure at the compliment radiating off her.

Itachi turned to the rest of them. He took out a slip of paper, and handed it to Sakura. "I must meet with the Hokage. Escort Katsu-san to this address. Make sure he does not get lost."

------

Sakura and Keiko nodded in confirmation of the order, but Itachi's eyes held Sasuke's for a second longer than they had to. Sasuke received the silent message. _Do not allow him to wander._

_So, nee-san, you don't actually trust this Katsu._ Sasuke smirked as his brother walked away from them.

"Sasuke-kun, are you coming?"

Sasuke pivoted on the ball of his left foot, and saw that Keiko was already dragging Katsu away, with Sakura looking at him.

"Hn." The ebony-haired ninja started off towards his teammates and the stranger. He heard Keiko speak to Katsu.

"Hey, Katsu-kun. Have you ever had ramen?"

------

"Megumi-sensei, when are you going to tell us what happened to Naruto? We're his comrades, we deserve to know!"

The kunoichi silenced the boy. "Quiet, Kaizo. We have another mission. You will find out when we are briefed. Now come."

------

Another chapter down. See you next chapter.


	10. Confusion

By the way, if you're wondering if Team 7 knows Naruto is blind, yes they do. I'm not sure if I went of that before, but if I didn't, let's assume that they found out somehow.

Standard disclaimer applies.

**Ch. 10: Confusion**

_Two weeks later…_

Lightning struck above the office of the Raikage, connecting with the rod that towered above the immense structure. It went unnoticed by the occupant of the room. After all, when one lived in Lightning Country, the sound of thunder was just one of the many things an inhabitant was forced to get used to.

Her father and uncle would have been proud of her. All this scheming would have been much to their liking. It didn't matter what they thought, though, since they were both dead. Still, it was comforting that in some way, her father would have supported her decisions. Her uncle though, she was glad was out of the picture. She held no respect for the man. Through his actions, the debacle of the failed Hyuuga kidnapping, the Cloud village lost face in the eyes of the other villages._ He may have enjoyed scheming and subtlety, but he had no sense for it himself. _

She swiveled in her chair, a childish activity she gave into when no one was looking. Her white robes fluttered as she completed the revolution. Only one person ever saw her act in such a manner, but he knew better than to speak of it. Not because he feared her. No, if at all, it was her that was cautious of the power he wielded. The scar across his face? She caused that. It was meant to kill him; she never met anyone whose body did not turn into ash when struck by that technique. Yet he survived with only one visible reminder of her failure. But as a servant of the Raikage, the pillar of strength of Kumogakure, he knew better than to undermine her power in any way. His loyalty to his village, and therefore his leader, was absolute. It didn't border on fanaticism; he was miles beyond that.

The package that said ninja brought from Danzo still lay upon on her desk, its contents spread across its surface. Information about the upcoming Chuunin exam riddled the papers. Locations, event times, predictions on which teams would pass each test, which individuals would most likely qualify as chuunins. _Danzo certainly was thorough_. There were also ANBU patrol schedules, council meeting times, and other various defense procedures. It appeared to her that the old war hawk did his homework quite meticulously. At the moment however, there was only one thing, or rather, person, that she was interested in.

_Uchiha Sasuke…_

------

Naruto wasn't one to make friends easily. Sure, there was Sai and Kaizo, and even Megumi-sensei. He cared about them, and was sure that they felt the same. But they were comrades, like-minded individuals who fought for the same goal. Sakura, Keiko, and even Sasuke were another matter.

They seemed to enjoy, or at least tolerate, each other's presence without a need for a reason. After Itachi ended practice, Naruto experienced one of these strange events yet again when Keiko and Sakura asked him where he would like to eat last night. This would mark the fourth occasion that Naruto ate with these people.

"_Come on, Katsu, it's your turn to pick!"_

_Naruto marveled at the girl, wondering why she was so energetic. Weren't ninja supposed to be calm and reserved?_

"_Well, I did like that ramen place we went to…"_

_Sakura gave a noncommittal response, while Naruto could literally feel Sasuke's grimace. Maybe he knew how Keiko would react to that statement._

"_Oh, come on! We already went there! Pick somewhere else!"_

_Naruto sweat-dropped. What was the point of asking him if she had the final say? "Why don't you choose, Keiko-chan?"_

_That was apparently the right response, as Keiko readily agreed to make the choice. "Let's go to my place. Tou-san just got back from Suna, and Kaa-san is gonna make a feast. It'll be great, you'll love it!" Once again, Naruto lost count how many times, he was dragged by the arm in the direction of what he assumed to be Keiko's home, Sakura and Sasuke right beside them._

Naruto had to admit, he enjoyed being around the three. Trust seemed to come easily to them. It was so unlike how he was raised. Danzo-sama and Megumi-sensei had always taught him that trust was a weakness that was always ruthlessly exploited, and therefore was detrimental to Konoha. Yet they trusted each other, and seemed to include him in that circle.

Today, however, the others appeared to have their own agendas, as Itachi-san had given them the day off. Naruto wasn't sure what to do by himself. Usually, he never had any free time; he just trained. He considered exploring the village he had sworn to protect, but never experienced; only his orders prevented him from doing so.

_The cell was still as dank as Naruto remembered it being the day before. Little chance of him being moved to better accommodations He tried to reach for his chakra, but the seals hadn't diminished any. In fact, they felt as though they had been reinforced._

_The heavy iron door slowly swung open, and two strangers entered, one holding a tray. He set the tray in front of him, as the other placed the edge of his kunai against his throat. He could feel the chains binding him slacken, and the clanging sound signified that they had fallen to the floor. The two ninja backed out of the room, the kunai still in the one shinobi's hand. He stared at the kunai, and the two stared right back at him, wary of any attempts of escape as they locked the door. As Naruto felt their chakras move away, he methodically ate the contents of the tray, all the while going over what happened in his mind. Those two guards may have been unaware of it, but they had delivered Danzo-sama's orders. The tray snapped into two pieces, and a sliver of paper fell out._

_Continue with whatever identity you have chosen. You will be released under supervision soon. New orders will follow._

_He snapped the two pieces of tin back together, and placed the paper in his mouth, allowing it to dissolve. He waited for the return of the scarred man._

Naruto locked the door as he entered the apartment that the Hokage designated for him. It was quite spartan in appearance, with only a kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom. It suited Naruto just fine; he was quite used to such furnishings in his quarters within the 'Ne' headquarters. His hand brushed past the table in the middle of the kitchen, guiding him straight to the doorway that led to his bathroom. He felt his way to the sink. Turning the knobs of the faucet, he brought the water to his face, washing the grime of training from his face. Grabbing a towel, Naruto headed towards the bedroom, falling face-forward onto the lumpy mattress. Thoughts of confusing people and new experiences flooded his dreams, and a restless sleep overtook him.

------

_The next day..._

"Kaa-san! Why do I have to do this?"

"He's your younger brother. It is your familial duty to look after him."

"But-"

This was not how Keiko planned to spend her day off. _I mean, come on, what kind of ninja plays pretend ninja? Stupid ototo._

"Don't worry; it's only for a few hours, Keiko-chan. Once I get back from the Hokage tower, you can do whatever you were planning on doing. Maybe flirting with a certain Uchiha, hmmm?"

It felt like all her blood rushed to her face. "Kaa-san! That's not true!" She paused. "Besides, Itachi-sensei isn't training us today."

Apparently her mother wasn't expecting that response. "_Itachi-sensei_? Well, what an interesting development. And here I was talking about Sasuke-kun. I must admit, though, he is gorgeous. You sure do have a fine taste in men."

Keiko now was wondering why she hadn't passed out yet. "Kaa-san!!!!! Stop it! I promise I'll baby-sit Konohamaru, just please stop!"

Her mother patted her brown curls. "Oh, relax, sweetie. Just some harmless fun. Besides, now you're willing to baby-sit, instead of trying to get out it!"

Keiko gaped at her mother. _This woman is so…devious._ Still, Keiko couldn't let her have the last word.

"Freakin' extortionist."

Her mother tutted casually. "Now, now, dear, is that any way to talk to your mother? Anyway, I have to go. Take care!"

"Yeah, bye, kaa-san."

Keiko watched as the door closed shut. Sighing, glanced around her, looking for the source of her troubles. "Konohamaru-chan! Where are you? Kaa-san says I have to look after you!" A green-blue scarf, yellow shirt, and grey pants jumped right past her.

"Come on, Konohamaru! Not this again! I'm a real ninja! I can't play ninja with you anymore! Hey, get back here!"

The boy in question laughed at his sister's anger. "You're not a real ninja if you can't catch me!" He zoomed right through the door their mother just exited.

Keiko fumed. If she chased him, she be playing right into his hands; he loved to annoy her. But if she didn't, her mother would throw a fit if he went missing. Throwing her hands into the air, she gave chase.

------

I'm signing you all up for the Chuunin exams."

Their reactions were varied. One yawned in response. Another chew even more loudly, as if that was an affirmation. The last started babbling about how she'd impress her 'precious Sasuke-kun,' until she saw the lack of excitement in her other two teammates, and took it upon herself to energize them with knocks to the head.

"You're all ready." He took a drag from his cigarette. "You all have the skills to be chuunin. Whether you want to become chuunin is up to you." At this he looked pointedly at the slouched genin.

"Sure, Asuma." Another yawn followed the words from the boy's mouth. Chouji laughed at his friend's response, while Ino grumbled about inferior teammates dragging her down.

Asuma sighed as he dismissed his team. Shikamaru was clever; of that there was no doubt. But if he didn't pick up with his training, one day he'd find himself in a position where all the smarts in the world wouldn't help him. _If only he had Keiko-chan's drive…_

"_Otooji!"_

_Asuma smiled at the exuberance of his niece. He put out the cigarette that was in his mouth, forestalling any complaints from the girl about the smoke._

"_Hey, Keiko-chan. How are you?"_

_The girl smiled. "I'm great! Itachi-sensei is letting us take the Chuunin exams this year! We're gonna kick so much ass- ow!"_

_Keiko rubbed her head as her mother walked by. "Watch your language, young lady. By the way, your guests shouldn't be left unattended."_

_Keiko glared at her mother. "They're my teammates, Kaa-san. It's not like they haven't been here before."_

"_What about your blond friend? I'm pretty sure that you only had two teammates."_

_Keiko just waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, that's just Katsu-kun. Itachi-sensei said that he was being considered for citizenship in Konoha and, how did he say it, 'induction into the ranks of the Konoha shinobi.'" She gasped and spun towards her uncle. "You should meet him, otooji! He's pretty-"_

"_Cute?"_

"_Kaa-san! I was going to say strong."_

_Asuma smiled. "Why don't you introduce me, then, Keiko-chan?"_

_Keiko grinned right back. "Yeah! Come on, otooji." Grabbing his wrist, she pulled him into the kitchen, where the rest of the occupants of the house were residing._

_There were five other people in the kitchen, four of which were already seated at the table. Keiko pointed to the blond one who was being pestered by Konohamaru._

"_Wow, you've never been to the academy, and you still could be a ninja? You must be pretty strong!"_

_The boy scratched the back of his head. "I'm not really sure about that."_

_Konohamaru jumped on the table. "Alright! From now on, you're my eternal rival!" Sasuke's eye twitched at this. "This is a great honor, being chosen by the grandson of the Hokage!"_

_Sakura's body was shaking from the giggling she was holding in, and the blond-haired boy glared at her. It was then when Asuma got his first look at the boy's unfocused eyes. _Have I met him before?

"_Whaddya say? Be my rival?"_

_The boy gave a sheepish laugh and nodded his head, while Keiko just shook hers._

"_Ototo, get off the table. Kaa-san's coming. You know how she is." The little boy gave a little squeak and ran out of the room._

"_That got rid of him."_

_Keiko moved to introduce them..._

The boy, Katsu was his name, was amiable enough, despite being handicapped. Still, he couldn't shake of the feeling that he knew the boy from somewhere else…

------

Sitting inside the council hall, Danzo couldn't help but marvel at the naiveté of the council members. _Inviting so many belligerent nations to participate in the Chuunin exams? How stupid are they?_

The council of Konoha was a civilian institution. Formed by the Nidaime Hokage, the council was a way for the civilians of the village to hold sway over the decisions regarding Konohagakure. After all, there were a lot more civilians than shinobi, right?

Danzo snorted. As if these civilians had any idea how ninja behaved. The battles between shinobi were unerringly subtle and intricate, and wars between nations would never truly end unless one was utterly destroyed. All these so-called peace treaties and cease-fire agreements were just empty promises to each other; when one village believed it had the strength to defeat another, it would not hesitate in doing so.

_That's why my plans are so important for Konoha_.

------

_Stupid little…where the hell did he go?_

Keiko wasn't used to this. Little brother or not, no one should be this annoying. Rounding another corner, she saw the tell-tale sign of her sibling's passage; the sloppy footprints of one attempting to act like a ninja. Sighing, she jumped to the roof of the udon restaurant beside her. Another leap across the ninja highway gave her a clear view of her fleeing brother. She grinned. Retribution would be swift and painful, oh yes. Adding more chakra to her leg muscles, Keiko seamlessly transitioned to each roof, quickly closing the gap. She leapt down into a street between two wooden fences.

"Alright, you little bastard, now you're- hey, let go of him!"

Standing in front of her, a young man dressed completely in black, held her little brother by the collar of his shirt. His other hand was toying with the kunai holster on his left leg. The boy, whose face was decorated with face paint and forehead covered by a Suna headband, turned to sneer at her.

"This punk bumped into me. He's gonna apologize, or…" Konohamaru started sniffling in fear at the ominous pause.

All annoyance at Konohamaru within Keiko evaporated at once. If anything could be said about Keiko, it was how much she would give to protect those she cared about.

"Don't you dare touch him, foreigner! Lay one finger on him and the ANBU will be on you so fast that your head will still be spinning when you're being raped in prison!"

The boy's intimidating presence faltered at hateful response that radiated from the girl. So much so, that Konohamaru's collar slipped from his fingers. Not wasting any time, the little boy rushed to his big sister, who wrapped her arms protectively around her charge. The boy buried his head into his sister's chest, trying to slow down his racing heart.

When the Suna shinobi realized that the boy was no longer in his grasp, his sneer returned, and the wrapped package strapped on his back came loose, slamming to the ground in front of him.

"You made the wrong decision threatening me, girlie. Now you'll see why Suna shinobi are superior to weak Konoha-nin." He moved to unwrap the package, but he suddenly stopped. Well, didn't stop, he was still moving a little, but it seemed that he was struggling against something.

"Kankuro, stop. They have done nothing to earn your ire."

All heads turned to face the newcomer. It was another Suna shinobi, this time with a large gourd strapped to his back. His pale face contrasted sharply with the black rings around his eyes.

_Do all ninja from Sunagakure like to carry things?_

Walking slowly towards the three in the street, he stopped at the side of the other Suna-nin, bowing in the direction of Keiko and Konohamaru.

"Forgive my ignorant brother, honored grandchildren of the Sandaime Hokage." The boy in black paled at this. "I am Sabaku no Gaara, and this is Kankuro."

------

Nobody please take offense to when I said "The boy, Katsu was his name, was amiable enough, despite being handicapped." It is my belief that becoming handicapped can change a person. Usually, they are not as happy as they once were, so it's perfectly understandable if they are angrier than they used to be. After all, what happened to them is not fair.


	11. Acceptance

Sorry about the wait, it's been a rough week for me, work-wise. Hopefully, the next chapter won't take nearly so long. Can't make any promises, though.

Standard disclaimer applies.

**Chapter 12: Acceptance**

The boy with the red hair continued to stare at the two inhabitants of the Leaf, while his brother cast nervous glances between Keiko and his own brother. Her arm instinctively tightened around her brother. The tallest boy was the first to speak.

"Gaara, what are you doing he…" he trailed off as the shorter one's sleep-deprived eyes suddenly glared at his brother, murderous intent radiating off of him.

"Kankuro, do not forget your place. I have little enough patience for you as it is." With his brother sufficiently cowed, the Suna nin's attention returned to the two Leaf inhabitants. The killing intent subsided, but even Konohamaru could still feel its lingering effects.

"We are here to participate in the Chuunin exams as representatives of Sunagakure. It was not our intent to cause any trouble. Once again, I ask for forgiveness on my brother's behalf."

His words were pleasant enough, but Keiko couldn't shake off the chill running down her spine. There was something in his voice that unreasonably frightened her, like an unspoken threat. It seemed to strip away her ability to speak. Thankfully, the red-head released his gaze, and Keiko's unknowingly tense shoulders slumped, her relief evident.

"Come, Kankuro." The shorter one waved to the other as he pivoted, his back now facing Keiko and her brother. The taller boy did not hesitate in following his sibling, trailing behind him as they turned a corner, disappearing from view.

Keiko was proud of herself in many ways. She was a Sarutobi, descendant of a noble ninja family. She was a competent genin, capable of holding her own in a fight. She was afraid of some things, but that fear never overwhelmed her, never took control of her. She hadn't faltered when she stood face-to-face with the boy from Suna, but she knew, deep within a part of herself that she did not want to acknowledge, that she had just met one ninja that she would never want to fight.

------

The two genin and jounin entered the administration level of the Hokage tower. All around them, shinobi and kunoichi from different nations, larger and small, were gathered a small set of booths. Each booth had the symbol of one of the participating villages hanging next to their partition. Naturally, the Konohagakure booth had quite a large group of individuals around it. Fortunately for the new arrivals, they weren't registering as Leaf-nin. They strode over to the desk in front of the booth, approaching the man sitting behind it.

"Country of origin?" The man looked bored out of his mind.

"Lightning."

"Number of genin participating?"

"Two."

Two slips of paper left the man's hand. "Please take these and fill out all pertinent information inside the booth. When completed…" he yawned. "When completed, return the forms to me. Thank you."

The jounin nodded as she picked up the papers and handed them to her two students. Ushering the two genin into the booth, she turned to see that the Konoha booth did not have such a desk. All the individuals in that area were already holding similar sheets as the ones she handed to her students, passing through the booth relatively quickly. _Guess their teachers already handed them out._

They slipped passed the curtain into the enclosed space. Both genin took seats at the table in the middle of the area, while the jounin stood in front of the curtains, tapping her left foot impatiently.

"Hurry up Kaizo, Sai. We need to leave quickly. Naruto is waiting for us."

Both boys could hear the anticipation in their sensei's voice. And who could blame her? It had been a couple of weeks since they saw Naruto, the longest they had been apart since the formation of their team. The hands' of the two genin began to scribble faster.

It took five more minutes for Sai and Kaizo to fill out the form. With a flourish, they completed the signatures of the aliases, and handed the papers to Megumi. The three exited the booth, and another group entered. As they approached the desk of the Leaf ninja handling Kumo registration, more Konoha nin, along with a spattering of other dissimilarly associated shinobi arrived from the lobby of the Hokage tower. Many were in their late teens, but a few were close to the age of her own students.

A finger tapped her on the shoulder. "Sensei, we're done here."

Megumi nodded absently to the blond-haired boy, motioning for them to follow her. "Come on, let's go see Naruto."

------

"Yosh! Finally, Gai-sensei has acknowledged us for the chance to prove ourselves worthy of Chuunins! Come, my comrades, our youth will spur us to glory!"

Tenten rolled her eyes at the tirade, while Neji right eye twitched at the other boy's antics. "Lee, be silent. You are attracting attention."

Tenten just sighed as Neji's words fell upon deaf ears. Rock Lee was already running towards the Konoha booth, seemingly desperate to place his form in the hands of the woman sitting at the desk in front of it. She just shrugged her shoulders and turned to the Hyuuga next to her. "Doesn't he know Gai-sensei has to be here to confirm our applications?"

Neji shrugged his shoulders, his eyes moving over to the booths handling the foreign participants. They were late, it would seem, since there were increasingly more entrants leaving the area than arriving, leaving only two dozen ninjas in the registration area. Tenten followed his example, staring out into the crows while they waited for their exuberant instructor.

Her vision landed on the booth directing the sign up of ninja from Kumogakure. There were only seven people within that vicinity, and three of them were just handing in their entry forms. With their backs to the Leaf booth, the three Kumo nin didn't notice Tenten's lingering stare. Her eye's focused on the two genin; she couldn't shake the feeling that she had seen them from elsewhere. Her eyes narrowed as she concentrated on the two familiar strangers, trying to drag the relevant memory from the recesses of her mind. So caught up was she in her actions, that she flinched in surprise when Neji's hand fell upon her shoulder. She turned to her teammate, who just jerked his head behind him. There she saw Gai-sensei, shouting the 'glories of youth' for all to hear. Neji turned and walked off in the direction of their spirited instructor, motioning for Tenten to follow. She turned back to the ninja she had been studying, only to catch them disappearing out the exit of the Hokage tower. Shrugging off the nagging feeling of familiarity, she hurried to meet with her sensei.

------

_The next day…_

Sakura would be the first to say that Sasuke would rather train than do anything else, especially go out with her. She may idolize, admire, and even love the Uchiha, but she was no longer the kind of person who would lie to protect her feelings, not even to herself. So it came to no surprise when she saw the boy practicing on one of the designated training fields. What did surprise her was that Naruto was with him.

Sakura didn't plan on seeing either of them that day. In fact, she meant to go see Keiko for a little training of her own. Her taijutsu had grown by leaps and bounds; even Itachi-sensei was proud of her progress. Well, all he said was, "Better," but even that was an accomplishment. Still, she wasn't as good as either Keiko or Sasuke-kun, and with the Chuunin exams only a few days away, she wanted to change that. It was disappointing that Keiko had her own training regimen that her grandfather was guiding her through, but Sakura could understand why Keiko declined her offer to train. After all, who in their right mind would pass by training from the Hokage himself? It left Sakura without a partner, but she resolved to practice on her genjutsu techniques. Any practice was better than no practice. When she arrived at the training ground, the sight of the two boys in question was not what she expected.

Sasuke and Naruto were deeply engrossed in their spar, not noticing Sakura's presence as she approached the field. The two were sweating profusely as Sasuke delivered a kick to Naruto's abdomen, forcing the blonde to back away from his opponent. As his foot fell back to the ground, Sasuke pivoted, sending a kick with his other leg, catching Naruto in the stomach before he could react to it. The boy tumbled onto his back, but Naruto rolled with the strike, returning to his feet, launching himself back towards Sasuke from his crouched position. Sasuke wasn't entirely prepared for Naruto's quick recovery, and only managed to twist his shoulder into the path of his challenger's incoming punch. The force of the blow caused Sasuke to stagger a little bit, but he quickly recovered. His hand reached into the pouch on his belt, and pulled out a kunai. Naruto mimicked his movements, a kunai in his left hand. Suddenly, Naruto's kunai flew from his hand, head straight for the Uchiha, who retaliated with a swarm of shuriken. Naruto ducked under the hail of metal, while Sasuke used the weapon in his possession to fend off Naruto's attack. He then threw said weapon at his opponent, and predictably, Naruto ducked under the attack. Sasuke's hands blurred through familiar hand seals.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu! (Fire Style: Grand Fireball Technique)"

The expansive ball of flame rushed towards Naruto. At such a close range, Sakura was quite surprised that Naruto was able to completely dodge the jutsu. Still, it put him in an ideal position for Sasuke to strike. With a quick running jump, the Uchiha boy planted his knee into Naruto's abdomen, propelling him to the ground. He skidded across the earth, pushed by the force of the attack. When his momentum dissipated, Naruto moved to get up, only to find Sasuke by his side, kunai against his throat.

"Yield."

Naruto sighed, raising a hand in acceptance. Sasuke got up from his kneeling position, pulling Naruto up along with him. The blind boy began to pat himself down, small dust clouds wafting from his backside. It was then that the two noticed Sakura's presence.

"Hello, Sakura-chan. What are you doing here?"

Sakura snapped out of her reverie, remembering why she had come there in the first place. "I thought I'd get some training done." She turned to Sasuke. "But if you guys are using it, I-"

"We just finished," Sasuke interrupted.

"Oh. Well, do you want to train with me, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke shook his head. "I can't. Family business."

With that, he headed off in the direction of the Uchiha compound. Sakura absently watched as Sasuke's figure became smaller and smaller, realizing that the feeling rejection that usually came with a refusal from Sasuke wasn't as strong as it once had been. Oh, it was still there, of that she had no doubt, but it didn't bother her as much as she thought it would. _Well, might as well get started._ Sakura sat down on the ground, and began practicing her hand seals, the words of her first genjutsu passing through her lips.

"Magen: Jigoku Kōka no Jutsu (Demonic Illusion: Descending Hell Technique)."

Sakura could feel the chakra passing through the channels that lined her body, traveling to each of hands. With each hand seal, the chakra molded around her, threading through the air.

------

Naruto felt the intricate pattern that Sakura's chakra created, passing around him with incredible precision. The genjutsu was useless against him, since he wasn't actually seeing anything, but he was still impressed by her control. Only Itachi-san had a comparable level of accuracy when it came to guiding chakra.

"You're pretty good at that, Sakura-chan."

It came to a surprise to Sakura that Naruto was still there. Still, the compliment was nice to hear. "Thanks, Naruto." Then, as if she realized something unpleasant, she frowned. "How did you even know what I was doing? It should have caught you if it worked."

Naruto walked over to her, sitting down beside her. "I'm not sure if it did, actually. I'm not really good with genjutsu myself. But it doesn't seem to affect me. At least, the ones that require eyesight to activate don't." He felt the grass give way to the weight of his body, a natural cushion against the hardness of the

Sakura stared at the fuzzy surfaces of Naruto's eyeballs. _I can't even imagine what it's like._ A ninja used all of their senses to a great degree, but vision was always considered the paramount tool of a ninja.

"It's not nice to stare, Sakura-chan."

Sakura whipped her face forward, redness emerging from her cheeks. She changed the subject, ignoring the embarrassment of being caught.

"Well, if you aren't affected by it, how am I supposed to know if it's working?"

Naruto shrugged. "Maybe practice those that don't need vision. Or practice something else."

Sakura's lips pursed, taking in Naruto's words, before shaking her head. "Thanks, Naruto, but I need to practice my genjutsu; it's my trump card." She blew a wisp of hair out of her face. "Besides, who am I gonna fight in the Chuunin exams who's…" she hesitated, unsure how to phrase her question. "Well, like you."

Naruto's hand rose to the back of his head, a trait Sakura deduced as a sign of nervousness or embarrassment. "Well, you're looking at somebody like that."

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about? Only sanctioned ninja are allowed to…" her eyes widened with Naruto's sheepish smile. "No way."

"Yeah, Hokage-sama made me a genin yesterday."

"But how? It's only been a few weeks."

"I thought it was strange too, but they said I was 'a special case.'"

_A special case? What's so special about Naruto? _Sakura put it out of her mind. If the Hokage believed Naruto should be a citizen of Konoha, then who was she to question it. _Besides, Naruto's been nothing but trustworthy since I've met him._ A smile emerged on her face.

"Congratulations, Naruto. I'm happy for you." Naruto grinned back at her. Sakura grabbed his hand, pulling him up to his feet and dragging him away from the field.

"Sakura-chan, what are you doing?"

Sakura looked back at him. "You're a Konoha nin now, Naruto. We should celebrate. That's what friends do when something good happens, right?" She turned back around, her hand tightening around his own as assurance. She didn't wait for an answer. If she had, Sakura would've seen the guilt that etched itself into Naruto's features.

------

Danzo glanced at his surroundings. The office of the Hokage was to his liking; Spartan, mostly devoid of useless things. _Ninja are not creatures of comfort_. It was a lot like his own office at 'Ne' headquarters. He turned his attention to the only other occupant o the room. He did not dislike the man, but he was too soft as a Hokage. A great ninja, Danzo would even admit that the Sarutobi was better than he was at the shinobi trade. But his duties as Hokage are marred by his compassion. That's why Danzo needed to pull the strings behind the scenes.

"Hokage-sama, may I ask about the boy?"

The Hokage nodded absently. "He was accepted into the Konoha ranks. He will also be participating with Team 7 in the Chuunin exams, as you suggested."

Danzo's visible eye crinkled, but that was the only sign of acknowledgement he gave. "He will make an excellent tool of Konoha, that Jinchuuriki."

_And an even better medium for my devices._

_------_

Once again, sorry for the long wait, but work along with writer's block was hurting the quality of my story. I hope it up to par. Until next time.


	12. Entry

Sorry, once again, for the lateness. I can't help it. If I force myself to write, it comes out all crappy, then I erase it anyway. Well, here it is, hope you enjoy it.

Warning: This story has sexual content. I wasn't planning on it, but it goes with the characters. Not the main characters, they're only thirteen. All I'm saying that I accept no responsibility if someone underage reads this. I did, after all, rate this story as 'M.'

Standard disclaimer applies.

**Chapter 12: Entry**

Anko moaned as the pleasure built inside her. She writhed furiously, hands grasping at the sheets of her bed. The man on top of her continued to pump into her, his grunts getting louder as he reached his peak. His shadow fell across her as the morning sun glinted through the window and across his back. Anko could feel her own climax approaching, her legs wrapping around her lover, her fingers leaving red marks along his back. The man hissed in pain, but his thrusts only became more vigorous. She could feel the erection inside her throbbing, a signal of his preeminent release. The throbbing pushed Anko over the edge, and she came with the man in her bed, who captured her lips in that instant, a searing kiss sealing the moment.

When the feeling subsided, the two separated, the man's hand lying across Anko's flat stomach. Anko's hands weren't idle either, one intertwined with the one on her body, the other twiddling with strands of the man's long, silvery hair.

"Chuunin exams are today."

Anko turned to face the ANBU in her bed. "Yeah, should be fun."

The man propped his head up with his free arm, his mismatched eyes catching her purple ones. "I need the details of your part of the test."

"Why?"

"Sandaime-sama wants me to patrol the forest during that part."

Anko suddenly sat up, bristling at the insinuation. "What the hell, Kakashi? It's my exam; I can take care of it. I don't need your help."

Kakashi lifted one hand, trying to pacify his girlfriend. "Hey, it's an order, I didn't have a say in it. You have a problem with it, take it up with Hokage-sama."

Anko looked as if she wanted to argue with him some more, but instead she just got up from the bed, heading for the shower. "It's too late now. I'll just make you pay for it later."

Kakashi wasn't listening. All he could see was Anko's ass sway back and forth, a hypnotic pendulum drawing him further off the bed.

Anko heard a thud echo across the bedroom. She turned to see Kakashi splayed across the ground. She laughed inwardly. _Men_. "Come on Hatake. You made me angry, and I need to vent." A lone finger beckoned him as she disappeared into the bathroom.

Kakashi never moved so quickly in all his life. Oh, how he loved angry shower sex.

------

The three genin of Team 8 decided to meet at their favorite training ground before heading towards the administration building where the first part of the exam was taking place. As usual, Hinata was there first. As a Hyuuga, tardiness was one of the many bad habits beaten out of you at a young age.

The training ground Hinata was standing in was dotted by tall trees. Her team used it the most because of their affinity to tracking. With all the obstacles around them, it made their job more difficult, and therefore was more suited to their needs. She jumped up to a branch of a tree near the edge of the field, sitting on one on the branches. It was one of those habits ninja developed from their training. An elevated position, when possible, was always advantageous. It was one of the reasons shinobi traveled along rooftops instead of the streets. The branch Hinata was on wobbled, and the distinctive sound of feet hitting the wood of the bough reached her ears.

"Hey, Hinata-chan."

The girl grimaced at the suffix used. She was too old for such a term, yet her teacher continued to label her with such. "Hello, Kurenai-sensei."

The red-eyed, black-haired woman followed Hinata's example, and took to sitting on the branch. They didn't speak after the initial greeting, which was how Hinata liked it.

"_But, Tou-san-"_

"_Hinata." The stern statement quieted the heiress. "As the eldest, you are expected to behave in a manner befitting the future leader of the Hyuuga clan. This timid behavior is unacceptable."_

_Hinata lowered her head, her lower lip quivering as her eyes became watery._

"_In order to prepare you for your calling, I will be sending you on a training expedition with Hikaru. He will prepare you."_

And prepare her was exactly what the old man did. Hinata came back a completely different person. Gone was the shy, timid Hyuuga daughter. In her place was the future of the Hyuuga clan, compatible with the life planned out for her by the clan elders. All of her attention went to bettering herself as a ninja.

"They're here."

Hinata turned her head to the direction in which Kurenai pointed. Indeed, the last two members of Team 8 were strolling towards the tree they were sitting on. Kiba was waving his arms animatedly, words coming out of his mouth at a rapid pace. Shino continued to walk, not acknowledging a thing Kiba had said.

"Come on, Shino! It's a great idea!"

Both Hinata and her sensei jumped from the branch of the tree, landing in front of the two boys. "What's a great idea?"

Kiba turned to the tallest of the four. "We send Akamaru and Shino's bugs to scout out the second test. They could follow Anko-san, I heard she's the proctor for that part."

Hinata shook her head at the boy's naiveté. "Kiba-kun, do you actually think Anko-san wouldn't notice she's being followed? She is a special jounin, after all." At this time, Shino, kneeling on the ground, eyes focused on the grass ahead of him.

Kiba snorted in response. "Oh, come on. How good could she be? I bet Akamaru could trail her easy."

Kurenai intervened before Kiba could sound more like an idiot. "Concentrate on passing the first test, Kiba. Arrogance will cut the legs from right under you."

Shino was staring at a ladybug that was now on his finger. He walked to a tree, placing the insect on the bark. He turned to his teammates. "The exam begins in twenty minutes. We must go now." He nodded towards his sensei, then started a leisurely pace towards the administration building holding the first test.

"Yeah, he's right. Come on, Hinata-chan." Another wince came from the Hyuuga girl. The rough-looking teenager grabbed her hand, a small blush forming in his cheeks, when she didn't pull away. Hinata just rolled her eyes at Kiba's reaction and turned her head behind her, waving farewell to their instructor. The woman waved back, before teleporting from the forested area. _That's a really useful technique. I wonder if Tou-san will teach it to me…_

_------_

Itachi saw his team, including the newcomer, enter the building where the first part of the exam was being held, but he did not greet them. It was critical that they stay focused, and anything he said could distract them. No, better to leave them be.

"You seem to have a vested interest in this exam."

Itachi half-turned to the dog-masked ANBU, wondering whether or not to answer.

"When someone speaks to you, it's polite to reply."

Itachi re-focused his attention on the doorway, only to see that his team had disappeared through the entrance, no longer in sight. "This is my team's first exam. Their success reflects upon me, Kakashi-senpai."

The other man chuckled. "Do you seriously believe that people will think that you're a bad sensei if your students fail? I never thought of you to care about the opinions of others, Itachi."

Itachi snorted at the comment. "I do not. When these genin graduate, I will most likely be given new ones. If Sasuke and the others are successful, my new students will be more receptive to my teachings. It will easier to train them."

"Well, it's all well and good if the original Team 7 is successful, but-"

"He will not be promoted to Chuunin. Sasuke will see to that."

Kakashi pushed up his mask, one eyebrow raised. "Oh? You're sure he can beat 'Katsu'?"

"No. But he has the best chance, as far as I know. Besides, Hokage-sama has a secondary arrangement to prevent his advancement."

"Oh? What would that be?"

Itachi actually looked slightly surprised at the question. "He did not tell you?" Kakashi just shrugged and shook his head. "Then it is not my place to tell you."

"Would it be his clothes? No self-respecting ninja should be wearing that monstrosity."

Inwardly, Itachi shuddered. As Team 7's sensei, it was his duty to observe Naruto and chaperone him during certain occasions. When it came to clothes shopping, however, Itachi couldn't care less.

"_What about this one Itachi-san?"_

_Itachi didn't move from his sitting position and didn't even open his eyes. A grunt of acknowledgement was all Naruto received._

In retrospect, perhaps he should have paid more attention to Naruto 's question. After all, he was blind; how would he know that the orange jumpsuit was such an eyesore?

------

The hallway was bristling with genin. The majority were Leaf ninja, but there was a smattering of foreign shinobi, all waiting for the doors to the first test to open.

"Wow, we sure have a lot of competition, don't we?"

Shino nodded, while Hinata swept her gaze around the area making casual judgments on the potentials in the hallway. It wasn't the most effective threat analysis, but it didn't hurt.

The other participants were mulling around the entrance, some conversing with others, but mostly they kept to themselves, trying to guess what the first test would be. Hinata's eyes roamed until they landed on Team 7. Her gaze would have moved right past them were it not for the blond-haired stranger standing next to them.

Keiko was the first to react to her stare. Turning, the brunette caught Hinata staring at her team. Keiko's eyes narrowed at the white-eyed kunoichi, and Hinata looked away. With the bad blood between them, mostly on Keiko's side, a confrontation would bubble over if she didn't back off. It was a problem she did not want to deal with at that moment.

Unfortunately for Hinata, Kiba had other plans. Seeing the group of genin, Kiba waved and shouted Sasuke's name, followed by the usual derogatory suffix. The black-haired boy, along with the other two who hadn't yet noticed their presence, turned to their direction. Kiba sauntered over, and with Shino following, Hinata sighed and fell into step behind her teammates.

------

"Hey, Sasuke-teme!"

When Sasuke head his name, he was instinctually drawn to the source. He immediately regretted it.

"What's up, guys?" An arm draped around the Uchiha, jostling him as the dog-like genin greeted the others. Sasuke roughly shrugged the offending appendage off his shoulders, taking a few steps from the former classmate. Kiba took it in stride, ignoring Sasuke as his attention fixed itself upon their new teammate.

"Who's Blondie?" Hinata's elbow dug itself lightly into Kiba's side, glaring at the boy before smiling at Katsu.

"Please forgive my friend, he is lacking in manners."

The boy turned to her, a grin on his features. "Don't worry about it." He turned to Kiba. "I'm Katsu. What's your name, dog-breath?"

Kiba's eyes widened at the stinging remark. Shino grabbed onto Kiba's arm as a deep growl rumbled within him. Kiba took one step forward, dragging Shino with him, before his mouth open, and he…laughed?

"Glad to see someone on Team 7 has a sense of humor. I'm Kiba." Said genin thrust a hand out. Katsu returned the favor, firmly grasping the outstretched limb. Sasuke once again rolled his eyes at the occurrence. _Since when is a sense of humor necessary for being a successful ninja? _

"Sasuke." The Uchiha turned to see Shino standing beside him. _How the hell did he get so close?_ "Why is he on your team?"

_That's a good question._ Itachi told him to watch the boy, but so far, nothing he did provided any clue as to his origin. Even during training, the boy seemed to have average skills for a genin. Still, it didn't concern Shino.

------

"Late Academy graduate, I suppose." There was a finality to his tone that told Shino that Sasuke was done talking to him. That was fine with the Aburame, he merely wanted to satisfy his curiosity. He turned back to the others, who were engaged in their own conversations. Kiba and Naruto were talking about different foods, with Naruto describing out the finer points of ramen over dango. The girls were talking quietly; it looked like Sakura was asking Hinata a question while Keiko just glared at his teammate. Shino kept his gaze on the brunette, feeling the hostility directed at Hinata. When Keiko's eyes widened and diverted from Hinata, Shino saw the anger replaced with a barely controlled dread. Following the path of her eyesight, Shino's eyes landed upon three Suna genin.

Before he could get a good look the shinobi, the double-doors of the hallway, burst open, and a heavily-scarred man stepped out. "All right, everybody inside. The first test is going to begin."

------

"We're here, Raikage-sama."

A long, slender leg stepped out of the carriage, and the chuunin had to slap himself to stop from ogling his leader. Not that she discouraged such behavior. Easier to manipulate situations when everyone else is off-balance.

When Raikage's feet came in contact with the ground, a mixture of revulsion and admiration welled up inside her. That such a young village, formed by bandits and missing-nin, could have built such a powerful village brought out the green-eyed monster within her. She did not deny it; she had long accepted that Konohagakure was stronger than Kumo. _But not for long_.

From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a pointed end of the Hokage's hat, similar to the one on her own head. The old man walked steadily towards the group, an entourage of his own ninja accompanying him. They closed the distance, and the Hokage of Fire Country extended his hand to her.

"Raikage-sama, on behalf of all inhabitants of Konoha, I welcome you to the Chuunin exams."

Slender fingers slid into the handshake. "Thank you. I am delighted to witness these exams. They promise to be most…interesting."

------

Until next time.


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